NGC 2608

Lore & Background

NGC 2608 was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 12 March 1785. It is classified as a grand design spiral galaxy with type SB(s)b, indicating moderately wound arms around a prominent central bar. The galaxy spans 62,000 light-years, about 60% of the Milky Way's diameter, and lies 93 million light-years away in the constellation Cancer.

In the 1966 Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies by Halton Arp, NGC 2608 was classified under 'galaxies with split arms.' Arp noted that the 'nucleus may be double or superimposed star.' The galaxy is now thought to be a pair of interacting galaxies.

Two supernovae have been observed in NGC 2608. SN 1920A was discovered on 8 February 1920 by German astronomer Max Wolf at an apparent magnitude of 12.9, reaching peak brightness on 15 February 1920 at magnitude 12.05. It has since been classified as anomalous and is believed to be the result of 'a completely different explosion mechanism.' SN 2001bg was discovered on 9 May 2001 by Tom Boles of Coddenham, Suffolk, England, using a 0.36 m Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. It had an apparent magnitude of 14 at discovery, later peaking at around 13.7, and its spectrum indicates it is a typical Type Ia supernova.

Reader's Guide

NGC 2608 holds significance as a barred spiral galaxy with a notable place in the study of peculiar galaxies. Its inclusion in Halton Arp's 1966 Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies under the category 'galaxies with split arms' highlights its unusual structure, with Arp specifically noting that the nucleus may be double or a superimposed star. The current understanding that NGC 2608 is likely a pair of interacting galaxies adds to its importance for studying galactic interactions and their effects on morphology.

The galaxy's legacy is further enriched by two historically notable supernovae. SN 1920A, discovered by Max Wolf, is anomalous and believed to result from a completely different explosion mechanism, making it a subject of interest for supernova physics. SN 2001bg, a typical Type Ia supernova discovered by Tom Boles, contributes to the understanding of standard candle supernovae. Together, these events underscore NGC 2608 as a site of diverse stellar explosions. The galaxy's moderate size—about 60% of the Milky Way's diameter—and its classification as a grand design spiral provide context for comparing spiral structures across galaxies.

Did You Know?

• NGC 2608 is also known as Arp 12 and is classified under 'galaxies with split arms' in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.
• SN 2001bg was discovered by Tom Boles using a 0.36 m Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.