NGC 1448

Lore & Background

NGC 1448 was discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on 24 October 1835. Herschel observed the galaxy again on 14 December 1835, resulting in it being listed twice in the New General Catalogue, as NGC 1448 and as NGC 1457. The galaxy belongs to the NGC 1433 group, part of the Doradus cloud of galaxies.

From the spectral analysis of SN 2001el, over a dozen diffuse interstellar bands were discovered in NGC 1448 – one of the few cases that these bands were observed outside of the Milky Way. However, the bands were significantly weaker at SN 2003hn. In January 2017 it was announced that evidence for a supermassive black hole in NGC 1448 had been found in the center of the galaxy.

Six supernovae have been observed in NGC 1448: SN 1983S (Type II, mag. 14.5, discovered by Robert Evans on 6 October 1983); SN 2001el (Type Ia, mag. 14.5, discovered on 17 September 2001, reaching magnitude 12.3, the brightest supernova of 2001); SN 2003hn (Type II, mag. 14.1, discovered by Robert Evans on 25 August 2003); SN 2014df (Type Ib, mag. 14, discovered by Berto Monard on 3 June 2014); SN 2020zbv (Type IIP, mag. 18.83, discovered by the Distance Less Than 40 Mpc Survey on 10 November 2020); and SN 2021pit (Type Ia, mag. 13.5, discovered by ASAS-SN on 10 June 2021).

Reader's Guide

NGC 1448 holds significance as a rare extragalactic site where diffuse interstellar bands have been detected, providing a unique window into interstellar chemistry beyond the Milky Way. The detection of over a dozen such bands from SN 2001el, and their weaker presence at SN 2003hn, offers comparative data on the interstellar medium of this galaxy. The confirmation of a supermassive black hole at its center in 2017 adds to the understanding of black hole demographics in spiral galaxies. Its six recorded supernovae, including the brightest supernova of 2001 (SN 2001el), make it a valuable laboratory for studying stellar explosions across different types. The galaxy's double listing in the New General Catalogue (as NGC 1448 and NGC 1457) is a historical curiosity arising from Herschel's two observations. As a member of the NGC 1433 group within the Doradus cloud, NGC 1448 contributes to the mapping of large-scale structure in the nearby universe. Its nearly edge-on orientation aids in studies of dust lanes and spiral structure.

Did You Know?

• NGC 1448 was discovered by John Herschel on 24 October 1835 and again on 14 December 1835, leading to its double listing in the New General Catalogue as NGC 1448 and NGC 1457.
• Over a dozen diffuse interstellar bands were discovered in NGC 1448 from the spectral analysis of SN 2001el, one of the few such detections outside the Milky Way.
• Evidence for a supermassive black hole at the center of NGC 1448 was announced in January 2017.
• SN 2001el, a Type Ia supernova in NGC 1448, reached magnitude 12.3, making it the brightest supernova of 2001.