NGC 4123
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NGC 4123 is a modest-sized, strongly-barred spiral galaxy located approximately 22.9 million parsecs away in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. It is a member of the Virgo Cluster and belongs to a group of three galaxies, which also includes NGC 4116 and NGC 4179. Discovered by William Herschel on February 25, 1784, the galaxy is notable for its X-shaped bar and ongoing star formation in its outer spiral arms.
Quick Facts
- Mass light ratio
- 2.25
Facts from the source article.
Background
NGC 4123 was discovered by William Herschel on February 25, 1784. Its morphological classification is SBx(rs)ab, indicating a spiral galaxy with a central X-shaped bar (SBx) encircled by an incomplete ring structure (rs) and moderate to tightly wound spiral arms (ab). The galaxy's plane is inclined at an angle of 46.9° to the line of sight from Earth. It lacks a large spheroidal bulge at the core, showing only a luminous point-like source.
Blue knots in the outer spiral arms indicate ongoing star formation. The galaxy has a companion, NGC 4116, located to the southwest at an angular separation, though there is no indication of an interaction between the two. The third member of the group is NGC 4179.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: NGC 4123 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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