| NGC 1409 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Observation data (J2000epoch) | |
| Constellation | Taurus[1] |
| Right ascension | 03h 41m 10.546s[2] |
| Declination | −01° 18′ 10.12″[2] |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 7750±40 km/s[3] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 15.4[3] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SB0[4] or SAB pec[3] |
| Apparent size (V) | 1′.0 × 0′.8[3] |
| Notable features | Interacting withNGC 1410 |
| Other designations | |
| NGC 1409,UGC 2821,PGC 13553[5][3] | |
NGC 1409 is a quiescent[4]lenticular galaxy in theequatorialconstellation ofTaurus. It was discovered by the German-born astronomerWilliam Herschel on January 6, 1785.[6] NGC 1409 is located in close proximity to the smallerSeyfert galaxyNGC 1410, and the two are stronglyinteracting. Their respective nuclei have a separation of just 23 kly, and they share a diffuse stellar envelope with a radius extending out to 49 kly.[4]
Themorphological classification of this galaxy most closely matches type SB0, which indicates a barredlenticular galaxy. There is a conspicuous pipeline of dust and gas being funneled to NGC 1409 from NGC 1410. This lane has a typical width of 330 ly, passing to the north in front of NGC 1409 and then behind, becoming denser toward the galactic core. It has an estimated mass of3×108 M☉ and is transferring mass at the estimated rate of 1.1–1.4M☉ yr–1. However, there is no indications of recentstar formation in NGC 1409 from this incoming material.[4]
Media related toNGC 1409 at Wikimedia Commons