| NGC 4654 | |
|---|---|
 NGC 4654 as imaged by theHubble Space Telescope. | |
| Observation data (J2000epoch) | |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Right ascension | 12h 43m 42.6s[1] |
| Declination | +13° 07′ 36″[1] |
| Redshift | 1046 ± 5 km/s[1] |
| Distance | 55.0Mly |
| Group orcluster | Virgo Cluster |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 12.0[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SAB(rs)cd[1] |
| Size | 88,600ly (27.17kpc) (estimated)[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 5.2′ × 1.4′[1] |
| Other designations | |
| UGC 7902,[1]PGC 42857, VCC 1987[1] | |
NGC 4654 is anintermediate spiral galaxy in theconstellation ofVirgo at a distance of 55 millionlight years (16.8megaparsecs) from theMilky Way[2] that can be spotted withamateurtelescopes.
NGC 4654 is a member of theVirgo Cluster of galaxies that shows peculiarities in the distribution of both itsatomic hydrogen andmolecular hydrogen as well as an asymmetry on the distribution of its stars,[3] with the atomic hydrogen being compressed in the galaxy's northwestern part and forming a tail on its southeastern part.[4] Whileinteractions with Virgo'sintracluster medium - that is stripping NGC 4654 of its gas as the galaxy moves through it - can explain its gas distribution, it is unable to explain the peculiarities in the distribution of its stars. It has been proposed that NGC 4654 interacted with its neighbor the spiral galaxyNGC 4639 about 500 million years ago; this, combined with weak ram-pressure stripping due to its motion within the Virgo cluster, may explain its features.[3]
Despite suffering a loss of its neutral gas, NGC 4654 does not suffer the deficiency of it that is shown in many spiral galaxies of the Virgo cluster and also has thestar formation typical for a galaxy of its type.[2]
Media related toNGC 4654 at Wikimedia Commons