NGC 4062 is aspiral galaxy in the constellationUrsa Major. The galaxy lies about 50 millionlight years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 4062 is approximately 50,000 light years across.[1] It was discovered byWilliam Herschel on March 20, 1787.[3]
NGC 4062 has a small ellipticalbulge.[4] From the minor axis of the bulge emerge twospiral arms, better visible innear-infrared.[5] The arms are high-contrast and in agrand design pattern. The arms are initially smooth and narrow but after half a revolution become diffuse. They can be traced for a full revolution before fading.[4] Dust lanes can be seen across the disk in a spiral pattern. SomeHII regions are also visible, but are less than two arcseconds across.[6] The star formation knots appear patchy, in a flocculent pattern.[5]
The galaxy is a strong source ofH-alpha emission, whose kinematics in the central region indicate high velocity dispersion, maybe due to the presence of a bar.[7] In the centre of the galaxy lies asupermassive black hole whose mass is estimated to be106.7M☉ (5 million times more massive than the Sun) based on the spheroid luminosity.[8]
^abEskridge, Paul B.; Frogel, Jay A.; Pogge, Richard W.; Quillen, Alice C.; Berlind, Andreas A.; Davies, Roger L.; DePoy, D. L.; Gilbert, Karoline M.; Houdashelt, Mark L.; Kuchinski, Leslie E.; Ramirez, Solange V.; Sellgren, K.; Stutz, Amelia; Terndrup, Donald M.; Tiede, Glenn P. (November 2002). "Near-Infrared and Optical Morphology of Spiral Galaxies".The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.143 (1):73–111.arXiv:astro-ph/0206320.Bibcode:2002ApJS..143...73E.doi:10.1086/342340.
^Garcia, A. M. (1993). "General study of group membership. II. Determination of nearby groups".Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series.100: 47.Bibcode:1993A&AS..100...47G.
