NGC 1404
Bright elliptical galaxy in the Fornax Cluster, rich in globular clusters.
NGC 1404 is an elliptical galaxy in the southern constellation Eridanus, discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on November 28, 1837. It is roughly 60 million light-years from the Milky Way, a distance measured using the tip of the red-giant branch method. As one of the brightest members of the Fornax Cluster, it contains about 725 globular clusters, though gravitational interactions with NGC 1399—the cluster’s brightest galaxy—may have stripped away many of them. Observations from the Chandra X-ray telescope show that ram-pressure stripping, caused by NGC 1404’s motion through the Fornax intracluster medium, is pulling away its hot gas and leaving a large trail behind. Two Type Ia supernovae have been recorded here: SN 2007on (magnitude 14.9), discovered by Christian Pollas and the TAROT collaboration on November 5, 2007, and SN 2011iv (magnitude 12.8), found by Stuart Parker on December 2, 2011.
Quick Facts
- Epoch
- J2000
- Constellation Name
- Eridanus
- Ra
- 03 · 38 · 51.917
- Dec
- -35 · 35 · 39.81
- H Radial V
- 1942 ± 48 km/s
- Z
- 0.006498
- Dist Ly
- 18.7 Mpc
- Appmag V
- 10.00
- Appmag B
- 10.97
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
NGC 1404 was discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on November 28, 1837. As an elliptical galaxy, it is rich in globular clusters, with an estimated population of around 725. However, it has been proposed that it may have lost most of its globular clusters due to gravitational interactions with NGC 1399, the brightest galaxy of the Fornax Cluster. Studies using the Chandra X-ray telescope show that ram-pressure stripping caused by the galaxy's motion through the Fornax intracluster medium is stripping it of its hot gas, leaving behind a large trail. Two Type Ia supernovae have been observed in NGC 1404: SN 2007on (magnitude 14.9) discovered by Christian Pollas and the TAROT collaboration on November 5, 2007, and SN 2011iv (magnitude 12.8) discovered by Stuart Parker on December 2, 2011.
Reader's Guide
NGC 1404 is significant as one of the brightest members of the Fornax Cluster, offering a nearby laboratory for studying galaxy evolution in a dense cluster environment. Its estimated population of around 725 globular clusters is typical for elliptical galaxies, but the proposed loss of many such clusters through gravitational interactions with NGC 1399 highlights the dynamic processes that shape galaxies in clusters. The ram-pressure stripping observed by Chandra provides direct evidence of how a galaxy's hot gas is removed as it moves through the intracluster medium, a key mechanism in quenching star formation and transforming galaxies. The two recorded Type Ia supernovae contribute to the study of these stellar explosions and their use as standard candles for cosmic distance measurements. NGC 1404 thus serves as an important case study for understanding the interplay between galaxy interactions, gas stripping, and the evolution of globular cluster systems.
Did You Know?
- NGC 1404 was discovered by John Herschel on November 28, 1837.
- The galaxy may have lost most of its globular clusters due to interactions with NGC 1399.
More in Galaxy Clusters and Groups, Part 4 1-24
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