NGC 1381
Edge-on lenticular galaxy with a boxy bulge in the Fornax Cluster.
NGC 1381 is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Fornax, located about 60 million light years from Earth. It is a member of the Fornax Cluster and lies near the cluster's core, notable for its edge-on orientation, thin high-surface-brightness disk, and boxy bulge that suggests the presence of a bar.
Quick Facts
- Epoch
- J2000
- Ra
- 03 · 36 · 31.7
- Dec
- -35 · 17 · 43
- Dist Ly
- 58.8 ± 10.2 Mly (18.0 ± 3.1 Mpc)
- Z
- 0.005751 ± 0.000030
- H Radial V
- 1,724 ± 9 km/s
- Appmag V
- 11.5
- Group Cluster
- Fornax Cluster
- Constellation Name
- Fornax
- Names
- ESO 358- G029, MCG -06-09-003, PGC 13321
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
NGC 1381 was discovered by Johann Friedrich Julius Schmidt on January 19, 1865, while he was director of the National Observatory of Athens. Using a 6 ft refractor to inspect the Cape catalogue nebulae, Schmidt also discovered the nearby galaxies NGC 1382, NGC 1386, NGC 1389, and NGC 1428. The discovery was published in 1876 in the work 'Über einige im Cape-Catalog fehlende Nebel.'
The galaxy appears edge-on and features a thin disk with high surface brightness and a boxy bulge. Both the box-shaped bulge and the kinematics of the central area suggest that NGC 1381 has a bar. It lies at the core of the Fornax Cluster, within a region of increased density of candidate globular clusters nearly half a degree across that connects the elliptical galaxy NGC 1399 with surrounding galaxies like NGC 1404, NGC 1387, and NGC 1380B. This structure is considered the result of interactions between cluster galaxies. A region with intracluster light has also been discovered between NGC 1381, NGC 1387, and NGC 1379, suggested to have been created by tidal stripping of stars and globular clusters from the galaxies.
Reader's Guide
NGC 1381's significance lies in its position at the core of the Fornax Cluster and its role in revealing cluster dynamics. The galaxy's boxy bulge and central kinematics indicate a bar, a structural feature that influences its evolution. Its location within a dense globular cluster region connecting NGC 1399 and other galaxies points to ongoing gravitational interactions that shape the cluster environment. The detection of intracluster light between NGC 1381, NGC 1387, and NGC 1379 further underscores the tidal stripping processes at work, where stars and globular clusters are pulled from galaxies. The observation of SN 2022ffv, a Type Ia supernova, adds to its legacy as a site of stellar phenomena. Together, these features make NGC 1381 a key object for studying galaxy interactions, bar formation, and the assembly of intracluster material in a rich galaxy cluster.
Did You Know?
- It has a boxy bulge and central kinematics that suggest the presence of a bar.
- One supernova, SN 2022ffv (Type Ia, mag 13.3), has been observed in NGC 1381.
More in Galaxy Clusters and Groups, Part 4 1-24
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