NGC 3621
{{Short description|Spiral galaxy in the constellation Hydra}}
{{Sky|11|18|16.5109|-|32|48|49.732}}
{{Infobox galaxy
| name = NGC 3621
| image = NGC 3621.jpg
| caption = NGC 3621 taken by the Wide Field Imager (WFI) at ESO's La Silla Observatory
| epoch = J2000
| pronounce =
| constellation name = Hydra
| ra = {{RA|11|18|16.5109}}{{cite web
| website=NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database
| publisher = NASA and Caltech
| title=Results for object NGC 3621
| url=http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/byname?objname=NGC+3621
| access-date=5 December 2024}}
| h_radial_v = 720 ± 0 km/s
| gal_v =
| dist_ly = {{nowrap|21.7 million light years (6.64 Mpc)}}
| group_cluster =
| size = ~{{convert|66.49|kpc|ly|abbr=on|lk=on|order=flip}} (estimated)
| stars =
| size_v = 10.96{{prime}} × 4.79{{prime}}
| notes =
| names = {{odlist | UGCA= 232 | MCG= -05-27-008 | PGC= 34554 | name= ESO 377- G 037 | IRAS= 11158-3232}}{{cite simbad|title=NGC 3621|accessdate=2021-02-24}}
| references =
}}
NGC 3621 is a disk spiral galaxy about {{convert|22|Mly|Mpc|abbr=on|lk=on}} away{{Cite journal |title= The structure of nearby groups of galaxies - Quantitative membership probabilities |author= Materne, J. |date= April 1979 |journal= Astronomy and Astrophysics |volume= 74 |number= 2 |pages= 235–243 |bibcode= 1979A&A....74..235M }} in the equatorial constellation of Hydra. It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 17 February 1790.{{cite journal |last=Herschel |first=W. |date=1802 |title=Catalogue of 500 New Nebulae, Nebulous Stars, Planetary Nebulae, and Clusters of Stars; with Remarks on the Construction of the Heavens |journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London |volume=92 |pages=477–528 |bibcode=1802RSPT...92..477H |doi=10.1098/rstl.1802.0021}}{{cite web | url = https://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ngc36.htm#3621 | title = New General Catalogue Objects: NGC{{nbsp}}3621 | last = Seligman | first = Courtney | website = Celestial Atlas | access-date = 5 December 2024}}
NGC 3621 is comparatively bright and can be well seen in moderate-sized telescopes. The galaxy is around {{Convert|216900|ly|pc|abbr=on}} across and is inclined at an angle of 66° from being viewed face on. It shines with a luminosity equal to 13 billion times that of the Sun. The morphological classification is SA(s)d, which indicates this is an ordinary spiral with loosely wound arms. There is no evidence for a bulge. Although it appears to be isolated, NGC 3621 belongs to the Leo spur.
This galaxy has an active nucleus that matches a Seyfert 2 optical spectrum, suggesting that a low mass supermassive black hole is present at the core. Based upon the motion of stars in the nucleus, this object may have a mass of up to three million times the mass of the Sun.
Supernova
File:SLT SN2024ggi colour combined.png
One supernova has been observed in NGC 3621: SN 2024ggi (Type{{nbsp}}II, mag. 18.915) was discovered by ATLAS on 11 April 2024,{{cite web | website=Transient Name Server | title=SN{{nbsp}}2024ggi | url=https://www.wis-tns.org/object/2024ggi | publisher = IAU | access-date=4 December 2024}} and by 16 April it had brightened to magnitude 12. It got as bright as magnitude 11.9, making it the brightest supernova of 2024.{{cite web
| url = https://www.rochesterastronomy.org/sn2024/index.html
| title = Bright Supernovae - 2024
| last = Bishop
| first = David
| website = Rochester Astronomy
| access-date = 31 December 2024
}} It was the closest supernova to Earth since SN 2023ixf, which had been discovered on 19 May 2023. A search of archival Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope images showed the suspected progenitor star, identified as a red supergiant.{{cite journal | bibcode=2024ApJ...969L..15X| title=The Red Supergiant Progenitor of Type II Supernova 2024ggi| last1=Xiang| first1=Danfeng| last2=Mo| first2=Jun| last3=Wang| first3=Xiaofeng| last4=Wang| first4=Lingzhi| last5=Zhang| first5=Jujia| last6=Lin| first6=Han| last7=Chen| first7=Liyang| last8=Song| first8=Cuiying| last9=Liu| first9=Liang-Duan| last10=Wang| first10=Zhenyu| last11=Li| first11=Gaici| journal=The Astrophysical Journal| date=2024| volume=969| issue=1| pages=L15| doi=10.3847/2041-8213/ad54b3| doi-access=free| arxiv=2405.07699}}
{{clear|left}}
Gallery
File:NGC 3621 HST.jpg|Part of NGC 3621 imaged by HST.
File:NGC 3621 ESO VLT.jpg|Very Large Telescope image of NGC 3621.
File:NGC 3621 Hubble WikiSky.jpg|NGC 3621 by Hubble Space Telescope
File:NGC 3621 GALEX WikiSky.jpg|NGC 3621 by GALEX
File:NGC 3621SST.jpg|Spitzer Space Telescope image of NGC 3621.
File:Ngc3621-hst-606R814G555B435.jpg|NGC 3621 (HST)
File:NGC_3621_and_SN_2024ggi_on_6_May_2024.jpg|NGC 3621 with SN 2024ggi
File:NGC 3621 with SN 2024ggi - JWST MIRI.jpg|NGC 3621 and SN 2024ggi with JWST MIRI
See also
References
{{reflist|refs=
| first1 = Ronald J.
| last1 = Buta
| first2 = Harold G.
| last2 = Corwin
| first3 = Stephen C.
| last3 = Odewahn
| title = Atlas of Galaxies
| publisher = Cambridge University Press
| pages = 13–17
| date = 2007
| isbn = 978-0521820486
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=g-P7dCbB5MEC&pg=PA16
| postscript= .}}
| last1 = Lang | first1 = Philipp
| title = PHANGS CO Kinematics: Disk Orientations and Rotation Curves at 150 pc Resolution | journal = The Astrophysical Journal
| volume = 897
| issue = 2
| pages = 122
|date=July 2020
| doi = 10.3847/1538-4357/ab9953
| doi-access = free
| arxiv = 2005.11709
| bibcode = 2020ApJ...897..122L
| postscript= .}}
| first1 = Stephen James
| last1 = O'Meara
| title = Deep-Sky Companions: Southern Gems
| publisher = Cambridge University Press
| page = 203
| date = 2013
| isbn = 978-1107015012
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=S5QIEKns33sC&pg=PA203
| postscript= .
| bibcode = 2013dcsg.book.....O}}
| last1 = Tully | first1 = R. Brent
| last2 = Shaya | first2 = Edward J.
| last3 = Karachentsev | first3 = Igor D.
| last4 = Courtois | first4 = Hélène M.
| last5 = Kocevski | first5 = Dale D.
| last6 = Rizzi | first6 = Luca
| last7 = Peel | first7 = Alan
| display-authors = 1
| title = Our Peculiar Motion Away from the Local Void
| journal = The Astrophysical Journal
| volume = 676
| issue = 1
| pages = 184–205
|date=March 2008
| doi = 10.1086/527428
| bibcode = 2008ApJ...676..184T
| arxiv = 0705.4139
| s2cid = 14738309
| postscript= .}}
| last1 = Bresolin
| first1 = Fabio
| last2 = Kennicutt
| first2 = Robert C.
| last3 = Ryan-Weber
| first3 = Emma|author3-link=Emma Ryan-Weber
| title = Gas Metallicities in the Extended Disks of NGC 1512 and NGC 3621. Chemical Signatures of Metal Mixing or Enriched Gas Accretion?
| journal = The Astronomical Journal
| volume = 750
| issue = 2
| page = 122
| date = May 2012
| doi = 10.1088/0004-637X/750/2/122
| bibcode = 2012ApJ...750..122B
| arxiv = 1203.0956
| s2cid = 118616035
| postscript= .}}
| last1 = Barth
| first1 = Aaron J.
| last2 = Strigari
| first2 = Louis E.
| last3 = Bentz
| first3 = Misty C.
| last4 = Greene
| first4 = Jenny E.
| last5 = Ho
| first5 = Luis C.
| title = Dynamical Constraints on the Masses of the Nuclear Star Cluster and Black Hole in the Late-Type Spiral Galaxy NGC 3621
| journal = The Astronomical Journal
| volume = 690
| issue = 1
| pages = 1031–1044
| date = January 2009
| doi = 10.1088/0004-637X/690/1/1031
| bibcode = 2009ApJ...690.1031B
| arxiv = 0809.1066
| s2cid = 12574940
| postscript= .}}
| title = A special spiral galaxy for over 200 000 Facebook fans
| url = https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1341a/
| newspaper = Hubble Space Telescope – Picture of the Week
| access-date= 23 January 2020}}
| title = A galaxy full of surprises — NGC 3621 is bulgeless but has three central black holes
| url = https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1148a/
| newspaper = European Southern Observatory – Picture of the Week
| access-date= 23 January 2020}}
}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1104/ A Picture-perfect Pure-disc Galaxy] — ESO Photo release.
{{Catalogs|NGC=3621}}
{{Ngc40}}
{{Hydra (constellation)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:NGC 3621}}
Category:Unbarred spiral galaxies
Category:Hydra (constellation)
Category:Discoveries by William Herschel
{{Spiral-galaxy-stub}}