Seyfert's Sextet
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
| Seyfert's Sextet | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Observation data (Epoch J2000) | |
| Constellation(s) | Serpens |
| Right ascension | 15h 59m 11.9s[1] |
| Declination | +20° 45′ 31″[1] |
| Brightest member | NGC 6027 |
| Number of galaxies | 4[1] |
| Other designations | |
| Serpens Sextet, HCG 79, UGC 10116, VV 115, VII Zw 631[1] |
|
| See also: Galaxy groups, Galaxy clusters, List of galaxy clusters | |
Seyfert's Sextet is a group of galaxies about 190 million light-years away[2] in the constellation Serpens. The group appears to contain six members, but one of the galaxies is a background object and another "galaxy" is actually a separated part of one of the other galaxies. The gravitational interaction among these galaxies should continue for hundreds of millions of years. Ultimately, the galaxies will merge to form a single giant elliptical galaxy.
Discovery
The group was discovered by Carl Keenan Seyfert using photographic plates made at the Barnard Observatory of Vanderbilt University. When these results were first published in 1951, this group was the most compact group ever identified.[3]
Members
| Name | Type | Distance from Sun (million ly) |
Magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 6027 | S0 pec. | ~190 | +14.7 |
| NGC 6027a | Sa pec. | ~190 | +15.4 |
| NGC 6027b | S0 pec. | ~190 | +15.4 |
| NGC 6027c | SB(S)c | ~190 | +16 |
| NGC 6027d | SB(S)bc pec. | ~877[4] | +15.6 |
| NGC 6027e | SB0 pec. | ~190 | +16.5 |
See also
- Robert's Quartet - another compact group
- Stephan's Quintet - a well-known compact group
External links
- ASAHI Net Free Address Service: Seyfert's Sextet (Galaxy Group in Serpens)
- NASA APOD: Seyfert's Sextet
- SEDS: Seyfert's Sextet (HCG 79)
- Seyfert's Sextet on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images
