Perseus A (NGC 1275) & Perseus Galaxy Cluster

Perseus A (NGC 1275)
Perseus A (NGC 1275): Image taken with Hubble Space Telescope © NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration; Acknowledgment: A. Fabian (Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK) [261]

History

On 17 October 1786 William Herschel sweeped the sky using his 18.7 inch reflecting telescope and found an object which he classified as a «faint nebula» and cataloged it as II 603 (NGC 1275) with the remarks: «pretty bright, stellar or pretty considerable stars with small, very faint chevelure.» In the same night he listed two more «very faint nebulae» III 574 (NGC 1293) and III 575 (NGC 1294). He wrote: «Two. Both very faint, stellar, very little brighter in the middle but the southernmost is the brightest and largest.» [464]

John Herschel observed the three nebulae of his father on 18 September 1828 (sweep 182) and measured accurate positions. He listed them in his «Slough Catalogue» as 293, 294 and 295. [466] On 16 December 1848 George Johnstone Stone, assistant at Birr Castle, observed that area using the giant 72 inch reflector of Lord Rosse and noted: «A multitude of nebs. knots in the neighborhood, principally preceding; counted 15; many more.» [364] In the following years many more members joined this group of galaxies: [277]

  • Heinrich Ludwig d'Arrest contributed six galaxies (NGC 1267, 1268, 1270, 1272, 1273, 1278) discovered on 14 February 1863 using the 11 inch f/17.5 Merz refractor at Copenhagen Observatory.
  • Guillaume Bigourdan found seven galaxies (NGC 1259, 1260, 1264, 1282, 1283, 1265 1271) from 19 October through 14 November 1884 using the 12.4 inch refractor at Paris Observatory. IC 1905 was a misclassification of three close stars.
  • Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse found two galaxies (NGC 1274, 1277) on 4 December 1875 using the 72 inch reflector at Birr Castle of his father (Lord Rosse).
  • Johann Louis Emil Dreyer found two galaxies (NGC 1279, 1281) on 12th Debember 1876 during his stay at Birr Castle using the 72 inch reflector of Lord Rosse. NGC 1276 is misclassified and a double star.
  • Lewis Swift contributed two galaxies (IC 312 and 313) after Dreyer's NGC catalogue was published in 1888. He used the 16 inch refractor at Warner Observatory, Rochester.

The many galaxies in this close group led to some confusions:

  • Dreyer mistakenly swapped the entries NGC 1275 and NGC 1278. [313]
  • Steinicke lists IC 312 as duplicate entry for NGC 1265 while Simbad assigns IC 312 to the galaxy UGC 2644. [145, 277]

Physical Properties

NGC 1275 is a giant elliptical galaxy and forms the centre of the Perseus cluster of galaxies (ACO 426), containing around 500-1000 galaxies. It is also associated with the strong radio Perseus A (3C 84).

This galaxy hosts a supermassive, active black hole. Energetic activity of gas swirling near the black hole blows bubbles of material into the surrounding galaxy cluster. Long gaseous filaments stretch out beyond the galaxy, into the multimillion-degree, X-ray-emitting gas that fills the cluster. These filaments are the only visible-light manifestation of the intricate relationship between the central black hole and the surrounding cluster gas. They provide important clues about how giant black holes affect their surrounding environment. The amount of gas contained in a typical thread is around one million times the mass of our own Sun. They are only 200 light-years wide, are often very straight, and extend for up to 20'000 light-years. The filaments are formed when cold gas from the core of the galaxy is dragged out in the wake of the rising bubbles blown by the black hole. Strong magnetic fields hold the charged gas in place and resist the forces that would distort the filaments. This skeletal structure is strong enough to resist gravitational collapse. [261]

Following table lists all galaxies with NGC/IC number in a 1° field of wie around NGC 1275.

Revised+Historic NGC/IC Version 22/9, © 2022 Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke [277]
NameRADecTypebMagvMagB-VSBDimPAzD(z)MDDreyer DescriptionIdentification, Remarks
NGC 125903 17 17.3+41 23 08Gx (S0)15.314.31.013.40.7 × 0.70.01940081.9471.940vF, S, R, vlbMMCG 7-7-46
NGC 126003 17 27.2+41 24 19Gx (S0-a)14.213.30.912.51.1 × 0.5860.01919081.0676.650vF, S, RUGC 2634; MCG 7-7-47; CGCG 540-81; IRAS 03141+4113
NGC 126403 17 59.5+41 31 13Gx (SBab)14.914.10.813.61 × 0.5300.01082745.73vF, S, vlbMUGC 2643; MCG 7-7-50
NGC 126503 18 08.4+41 45 16Gx (E5)14.413.41.013.01 × 0.51250.01660570.14vF, vS, mbMIC 312; UGC 2644; MCG 7-7-51; CGCG 540-86
NGC 126703 18 44.8+41 28 03Gx (E2)14.113.11.013.21.1 × 0.9300.01687571.28F, vS, R, stellGC 668; UGC 2657; MCG 7-7-55; CGCG 540-92
NGC 126803 18 45.2+41 29 21Gx (Sb)14.213.40.812.70.9 × 0.61200.01088445.97eF, S, lE, comGC 669; UGC 2658; MCG 7-7-56; CGCG 540-93
NGC 127003 18 58.1+41 28 13Gx (E2)14.313.11.213.50.9 × 0.7150.01656169.9576.650vF, S, RGC 671; UGC 2660; MCG 7-7-57; CGCG 540-95
NGC 127103 19 11.2+41 21 13Gx (SB0?)14.913.91.012.10.5 × 0.21270.01918381.03vF, vSCGCG 540-96
NGC 127203 19 21.3+41 29 26Gx (E1)12.911.81.113.22.2 × 200.01272553.7576.650F, S, RGC 672; UGC 2662; MCG 7-7-58; CGCG 540-98
NGC 127303 19 26.8+41 32 24Gx (S0)14.313.21.113.20.8 × 0.71440.01796975.9076.650vF, vSGC 673; MCG 7-7-59; CGCG 540-99
NGC 127403 19 40.6+41 32 58Gx (E3)15.114.11.012.60.8 × 0.3380.02139190.3576.650vF, vSGC 5302; MCG 7-7-62; CGCG 540-102
NGC 127503 19 48.1+41 30 41Gx (S0/P)12.611.90.713.22.3 × 1.61100.01755974.1772.700F, SWH II 603; h 293; GC 674; UGC 2669; MCG 7-7-63; CGCG 540-103; 3C 84 ; IRAS 03164+4119; Perseus A
NGC 127603 19 51.1+41 38 33*2vF, vSGC 5303
NGC 127703 19 51.4+41 34 27Gx (S0-a)14.713.61.112.30.8 × 0.3920.01689871.38vF, vS, np II 603GC 5304=5305; MCG 7-7-64; CGCG 540-104
NGC 127803 19 54.1+41 33 49Gx (E2)13.612.41.213.01.4 × 1.11020.02031485.8076.650pB, pS, R, bMGC 675; IC 1907; UGC 2670; MCG 7-7-65; CGCG 540-105
NGC 127903 19 59.1+41 28 47Gx (S)15.815.00.813.30.6 × 0.400.024300102.6vF, vSGC 5306; PGC 12449
NGC 128103 20 06.3+41 37 47Gx (E5)14.513.31.213.00.9 × 0.4660.01434360.58vF, S, * 11 p 1'GC 5307; MCG 7-7-67; CGCG 540-108
NGC 128203 20 12.0+41 22 01Gx (E4)13.912.91.013.41.2 × 0.7250.00713530.1461.330vF, S, lbMNUGC 2675; MCG 7-7-68; CGCG 540-109
NGC 128303 20 15.5+41 23 55Gx (E1)14.713.61.112.70.7 × 0.6730.02243994.7876.650vF, S, vlbMUGC 2676; MCG 7-7-69; CGCG 540-110
NGC 129303 21 36.4+41 23 36Gx (E0)14.513.41.113.40.9 × 0.90.01392058.8076.650vF, R, bM, np of 2WH III 574; h 294; GC 686; MCG 7-7-75; CGCG 540-116; NPM1G +41.0114
NGC 129403 21 40.0+41 21 38Gx (E-S0)14.313.21.113.51.1 × 0.800.02196592.78vF, R, bM, sf of 2WH III 575; h 295; GC 687; UGC 2694; MCG 7-7-76; CGCG 540-117; IRAS 03184+4111
IC 31203 18 08.4+41 45 16dup14.413.41.013.01 × 0.51250.01660570.14eeF, pS, R, nearly bet 2 stNGC 1265; UGC 2644; MCG 7-7-51; CGCG 540-86
IC 31303 20 57.9+41 53 39Gx (E1)15.114.11.013.80.9 × 0.80.01478462.45eeF, vS, R, close D * nr sUGC 2682; MCG 7-7-73; CGCG 540-111
IC 190503 18 48.0+41 21 59*3Cl, S, vF, ? Neb

Finder Chart

The galaxy Perseus A (NGC 1275) and its companions are located in the constellation Perseus. The best time to observe is from January to December, when the circumpolar constellation is highest at night.

Perseus: Perseus A (NGC 1275) & Perseus Galaxy Cluster
Finder Chart Perseus A (NGC 1275) & Perseus Galaxy Cluster
03:16
12:42 | 84.8°
22:07
Charts created using SkySafari 6 Pro and STScI Digitized Sky Survey. Limiting magnitudes: Constellation chart ~6.5 mag, DSS2 close-ups ~20 mag. Times are shown for timezone UTC, Latitude 46.7996°, Longitude 8.23225°, Horizon height 5°, Date 2025-04-24. [149, 160]

Objects Within a Radius of 15°

References