Astronomy:NGC 3977

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NGC 3977
NGC 3977 imaged by SDSS
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationUrsa Major
Right ascension 11h 56m 07.1952s[1]
Declination+55° 23′ 26.718″[1]
Redshift0.019370[1]
Helio radial velocity5,807±5 km/s[1]
Distance287.4 ± 20.1 Mly (88.13 ± 6.17 Mpc)[1]
Group or clusterHolm 304
Apparent magnitude (V)13.4[1]
Characteristics
Type(R)SA(rs)ab?[1]
Size~156,600 ly (48.00 kpc) (estimated)[1]
Apparent size (V)1.5′ × 1.4′[1]
Other designations
HOLM 304B, NGC 3980, UGC 6909, MCG+09-20-034, PGC 37497[1]

NGC 3977 is an unbarred spiral galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is 5,975±13 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 287.4 ± 20.1 Mly (88.13 ± 6.17 Mpc).[1] It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 13 April 1784.[2] It was also observed by Lewis Swift on 16 April 1885, causing this galaxy to be listed twice in the New General Catalogue, as both NGC 3977 and NGC 3980.[2]

NGC 3977 with NGC 3972

NGC 3977 along with NGC 3972 are listed together as Holm 304 in Erik Holmberg's A Study of Double and Multiple Galaxies Together with Inquiries into some General Metagalactic Problems, published in 1937.[3] This grouping is purely optical, as NGC 3977 is about four times farther away than NGC 3972.[4]

The SIMBAD database lists NGC 3977 as a LINER galaxy, i.e. a galaxy whose nucleus has an emission spectrum characterized by broad lines of weakly ionized atoms.[5]

Supernovae

Two supernovae have been observed in NGC 3977:

See also

References

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