| NGC 2427 | |
|---|---|
 NGC 2427 imaged by theHubble Space Telescope | |
| Observation data (J2000epoch) | |
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Right ascension | 07h 36m 28.035s[1] |
| Declination | −47° 38′ 11.05″[1] |
| Redshift | 0.003242 ± 0.000010[1] |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 972 ± 3km/s[1] |
| Distance | 35.3 ± 4.8Mly (10.8 ± 1.5Mpc)[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.6[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SAB(s)c pec[1] |
| Size | ~53,000 ly (16.3 kpc) (estimated)[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 5.2′ × 2.2′[1] |
| Other designations | |
| ESO 208- G 027, IRAS 07350-4731,PGC 21375[1] | |
NGC 2427 is abarred spiral galaxy located in the constellationPuppis. It is located at a distance of about 35 millionlight years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 2427 is about 50,000 light years across.[1] It was discovered byJohn Herschel on March 1, 1835.[3]
NGC 2427 has a bright short bar and two main spiral arms. The arms are asymmetric and of low surface brightness and feature many knots andHII regions the largest of which are about one arcsecond across.[4][5][6] The totalstar formation rate is estimated to be 1.1M☉ per year.[7] When observed inH-alpha the bar is well defined and narrow and appears about one arcminute long across thegalactic bulge. Many faint HII regions are visible in the inner and extended eastern disk of the galaxy. As the galaxy lies near the galactic plane and is seen in high inclination it is difficult to trace the spiral arms in H-alpha.[8] The nucleus is very small and faint[5] and hosts anuclear star cluster which is 3.2 arcseconds across.[9]
NGC 2427 is a member of agalaxy group which also includes the galaxiesNGC 2502, ESO 208- G 021, and ESO 209- G 009.[10]
