NGC 3672 is anunbarred spiral galaxy in the constellationCrater. The galaxy lies about 80 millionlight years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 3672 is approximately 100,000 light years across.[1] It was discovered byWilliam Herschel on March 4, 1786.[3]
The galaxy has a small, bright nucleus. Its mass is estimated to be about 200 millionsolar masses and its radius 350 parsecs (1,100 ly). Spectral analysis of the nuclear region of the galaxy revealed the presence of large velocity gradients along the minor axis of the outer disk. This has been interpreted as a result of the presence of excited nuclear gas rotating at a large angle with respect to the rest of the galaxy or gas clouds collapsing towards the centre.[4] That was the first time such nuclear gas kinematics were observed in a spiral galaxy.[5] Four well defined arms with many knots emerge from the centre of the galaxy in agrand design pattern.[6][7] Thestar formation rate of the galaxy is estimated to be about 3.5M☉ per year.[8]
SN 2007bm was discovered by R. Martin of thePerth Observatory in images taken by the Perth Automated Supernova Search on 20 and 21 April 2007 at an apparent magnitude of 16 about 2".4 west and 10".8 south of center of the galaxy.[9] It was identified as atype Ia supernova about a week before maximum.[10] It reached a peak magnitude of 14.2.[11]
SN 2008gz was discovered byKoichi Itagaki on 5 November 2008 at an apparent magnitude of 16.2 located 13" east and 7" south of the center of NGC 3672.[12] It was identified as atype IIP supernova about 80 days past explosion. The supernova took place at the inner parts of a spiral arm, next to anHII region. The progenitor star was estimated to have had a mass of 17M☉ while it was in themain sequence.[13]
NGC 3672 is the foremost member of the NGC 3672 Group, also known as LGG 235.[14] Other members of the group includeNGC 3636,NGC 3637,[15] and IC 688.[14] IC 688 lies about 20 arcminutes away from NGC 3672.[7] The galaxy group lies in the same galaxy cloud withNGC 3730 andNGC 3779.[14]
^Rubin, V. C.; Thonnard, N.; Ford, W. K., Jr. (October 1977). "Extended rotation curves of high-luminosity spiral galaxies. I - The angle between the rotation axis of the nucleus and the outer disk of NGC 3672".The Astrophysical Journal.217: L1.Bibcode:1977ApJ...217L...1R.doi:10.1086/182526.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Anantharamaiah, K. R.; Goss, W. M. (20 July 1996). "Orthogonal Rotating Gaseous Disks near the Nucleus of NGC 253".The Astrophysical Journal.466 (1):L13 –L16.Bibcode:1996ApJ...466L..13A.doi:10.1086/310157.
^Sandage, A., Bedke, J. (1994),The Carnegie Atlas of Galaxies. Volume I, Carnegie Institution of Washington
^abde Vaucouleurs, Gerard Henri; de Vaucouleurs, Antoinette; Shapley, Harlow (1964).Reference catalogue of bright galaxies. Austin: University of Texas Press.Bibcode:1964rcbg.book.....D.
^Navasardyan, H.; Benetti, S.; Harutyunyan, A.; Turatto, M. (1 April 2007)."Supernova 2007bm in NGC 3672".Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams (939): 1.
