NGC 1262

Lore & Background

NGC 1262 was discovered by astronomer Francis Leavenworth on November 12, 1885. It was formerly believed to be the most distant object in the New General Catalogue, with redshift and distance estimates placing it at z = 0.116 and roughly 507.0 megaparsecs (1,650 million light-years) from Earth. This corresponded to a large isophotal diameter of about 125.59 kiloparsecs (410,000 light-years) based on its D25.0 apparent dimension, making it nearly five times larger than the Milky Way and one of the largest spiral galaxies.

However, in 2023, using data from Ann Isaacs from the University of Minnesota, Stephen Odewahn from the McDonald Observatory used new radial velocity calculations with a new estimate of 15,169 km/s, which corresponds to a lower redshift of z = 0.0506 and hence a light-travel distance of 686 million light-years (210.3 megaparsecs). This placed NGC 1262 nowhere near the most distant NGC galaxy and resulted in a rather lower isophotal diameter.

Supernova AT 2014fx in NGC 1262 was discovered by citizen scientists using the Galaxy Zoo website. Its coordinates (decimal) are: ra=48.893766 dec=-15.884613.

Reader's Guide

NGC 1262's significance lies in its dramatic revision from being considered the most distant object in the New General Catalogue to a much nearer galaxy. The original estimates, based on redshift z = 0.116, gave it a distance of 1,650 million light-years and a diameter of 410,000 light-years, making it nearly five times larger than the Milky Way. However, in 2023, Stephen Odewahn, using data from Ann Isaacs, recalculated the radial velocity to 15,169 km/s, yielding a redshift of z = 0.0506 and a distance of only 686 million light-years. This revision not only removed NGC 1262 from the list of the most distant NGC objects but also reduced its estimated isophotal diameter. The galaxy's history illustrates how observational data can change our understanding of cosmic distances and sizes. Additionally, the discovery of supernova AT 2014fx by citizen scientists via the Galaxy Zoo website highlights the role of public participation in astronomical research.

Did You Know?

• Its original estimated diameter of 410,000 light-years made it nearly five times larger than the Milky Way.
• In 2023, Stephen Odewahn used new radial velocity calculations to revise its redshift from z = 0.116 to z = 0.0506.