NGC 4945 (also known as Caldwell 83) is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Centaurus, visible near the star Xi Centauri.[3] The galaxy was discovered by James Dunlop in 1826 and is thought to be similar to the Milky Way Galaxy, although X-ray observations show that NGC 4945 has an unusual energetic Seyfert 2 nucleus that might house a supermassive black hole.[4] Around the nucleus of the galaxy, there is a dense disk of dust and gas, along with many dense star clusters.[5] This object has an estimated mass of 1.4+1.4
−0.7×1011 M☉.[6]
| NGC 4945 | |
|---|---|
 NGC 4945 image take by the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at La Silla Observatory | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Right ascension | 13h 05m 27.5s[1] |
| Declination | −49° 28′ 06″[1] |
| Redshift | 563 ± 3 km/s[1] |
| Distance | 11.7 Mly (3.6 Mpc)[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 9.3[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SB(s)cd[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 20.0′ × 3.8′[1] |
| Other designations | |
| PGC 45279,[1] Caldwell 83 | |
Two supernovae have been observed in NGC 4945: SN 2005af (Type II, mag. 12.8),[7] and SN 2011ja (type IIP, mag. 14).[8]
Galaxy group
NGC 4945 one of the brightest galaxies of the Centaurus A/M83 Group, a large, nearby group of galaxies. The galaxy is the second brightest galaxy in the subgroup centered on Centaurus A.[2][9]
In popular culture
NGC 4945 is the title of a song by Brett Domino on the album "Funk".
References
External links
- NGC 4945 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images
- APOD: Nearby Spiral Galaxy NGC 4945 (7/21/02)
- ESO: The milkyway's nearby cousin (2/10/09)