File:Cassiopeia’s_unusual_resident.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Astronomical data · SIMBAD
- Object type
- H2G
- Distance
- 10,750 light-years
- Redshift
- z = 0.002141
- Morphology
- SAB(rs)b
- Coordinates
- RA 13.0181° · Dec 47.5505°
via SIMBAD · CDS Strasbourg
Key facts
- Constellation
- Cassiopeia
- Right ascension
- 00 52 04.3
- Declination
- +47 ° 33 ′ 02 ″
- Heliocentric radial velocity
- 627 ± 1 km/s
- Distance
- 39 Mly (12.1 Mpc )
- Group or cluster
- Virgo Supercluster
- Absolute magnitude b
- −19.6
- Type
- SAB(rs)b
- Apparent size v
- 2′.1 × 2′.0
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- intermediate spiral galaxy
- Constellation
- Cassiopeia
- Distance from Earth
- 12.1
- Image
- NGC278-hst-R814G606B450.jpg
Show 13 more facts
- redshift
- 0.002141
- Commons category
- NGC 278
- catalog code
- LEDA 3051
- discoverer or inventor
- William Herschel
- time of discovery or invention
- 1786-12-11
- apparent magnitude
- 7.820
- galaxy morphological type
- SAB(rs)b
- right ascension
- 13.01809290574460
- declination
- 47.55045815298590
- radial velocity
- 641
- epoch
- J2000.0
- right ascension component of proper motion
- 1.782
- declination component of proper motion
- 2.026
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~2 min read
Encyclopedic overview
NGC 278 is an isolated spiral galaxy in the northern circumpolar constellation of Cassiopeia, near the southern constellation boundary with Andromeda. It lies at a distance of approximately 39 megalight-years from the Milky Way, giving it a physical scale of 190 ly (58 pc) per arcsecond. The galaxy was discovered on December 11, 1786 by German-born astronomer William Herschel. J. L. E. Dreyer described it as, "considerably bright, pretty large, round, 2 stars of 10th magnitude near".
The morphological classification of this galaxy is SAB(rs)b, which indicates a weak bar structure around the nucleus (SAB), an incomplete ring around the bar (rs), and moderately-tightly wound spiral arms (b). It is a relatively small, compact spiral with a diameter of 23 kly (7 kpc), multiple flocculent arms and a bright, dusty nucleus that does not appear to be active. However, the neutral hydrogen in the galaxy is spread over a diameter five times larger than its visible size.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Q841147” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.