NGC 5054 is aspiral galaxy in the constellationVirgo. The galaxy lies about 55 millionlight years away from Earth based on redshift-independent methods, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 5054 is approximately 85,000 light years across.[1] Based on redshift the galaxy lies about 80 million light years away. It was discovered byWilliam Herschel on December 31, 1785.[3] It is included in theHerschel 400 Catalogue. It lies about 6 degrees southwest ofSpica and near the star53 Virginis.[4]
NGC 5054 has a bright nucleus which hosts a nuclear bar making thebulge appear elliptical. The galaxy has three prominentspiral arms in agrand design pattern. The arms emerge from the inner disk spaced about 120 degrees apart. The arms are loosely wrapped around, with the northern arm appearing more tightly wrapped. The arms can be traced for about half a revolution before fading. Many star forming knots are visible in spiral arms.[5] The largestHII regions are about two arcseconds across.[6] Thestar formation rate of the galaxy is estimated to be 2.6M☉ per year.[7] In the centre of the galaxy lies asupermassive black hole, whose mass is estimated to be 106.62 ± 0.36 (1.8 - 9.5 millions)M☉, based on the pitch angle of the spiral arms.[8]
SN 2004ab was discovered on 21 February 2004 by L. A. G. Monard at an apparent magnitude of 14.7 2" west and 11" north from the centre of the galaxy. It was identified as aType Ia supernova about one week past maximum.[9] The supernova was highly reddened.[10]
SN 2018is was discovered on 20 January 2018 at an apparent red magnitude of 17.9. It was identified as a low-luminosityTypeII-P supernova with an atypically steep decline during the photospheric phase and remarkably narrow emission lines.[13]
NGC 5054 lies at the outskirts of the NGC 5044 Group.[6] The difference in redshift between NGC 5054 and the group is -919 ± 61 km/s.[14] Makarov et al place NGC 5054 in the same cloud with the NGC 5044 Group, however belonging to a different group, the NGC 5054 Group, along withNGC 5037 and some other fainter galaxies.[15]
AMagellanic galaxy is seen superimposed on the northern arm of the galaxy, 2.7 arcminutes from the centre. It is possible that theinteraction of the two galaxies has resulted in star formation in the dwarf galaxy and could be cause of the peculiar arm morphology of NGC 5054.[16] It is also possible that the peculiar shape is the result of the interaction of the galaxy with the extended halo of the NGC 5044 group.[14]
^Eskridge, 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.
^abSandage, A., Bedke, J. (1994),The Carnegie Atlas of Galaxies. Volume I, Carnegie Institution of Washington
^Davis, Benjamin L.; Berrier, Joel C.; Johns, Lucas; Shields, Douglas W.; Hartley, Matthew T.; Kennefick, Daniel; Kennefick, Julia; Seigar, Marc S.; Lacy, Claud H. S. (20 June 2014). "The Black Hole Mass Function Derived from Local Spiral Galaxies".The Astrophysical Journal.789 (2): 124.arXiv:1405.5876.Bibcode:2014ApJ...789..124D.doi:10.1088/0004-637X/789/2/124.S2CID119302157.
^abGastaldello, Fabio; Di Gesu, Laura; Ghizzardi, Simona; Giacintucci, Simona; Girardi, Marisa; Roediger, Elke; Rossetti, Mariachiara; Brighenti, Fabrizio; Buote, David A.; Eckert, Dominique; Ettori, Stefano; Humphrey, Philip J.; Mathews, William G. (24 May 2013). "Sloshing Cold Fronts in Galaxy Groups and Their Perturbing Disk Galaxies: An X-Ray, Optical, and Radio Case Study".The Astrophysical Journal.770 (1): 56.arXiv:1304.5478.Bibcode:2013ApJ...770...56G.doi:10.1088/0004-637X/770/1/56.
