NGC 973 Galaxy Group

NGC 973
NGC 973: Galaxy in Triangulum; 500 mm Cassegrain f/7.2; SBIG STL11K; 120-30-30-30 min LRGB; Bernese Highlands; © 2011 Radek Chromik [32]

History

The galaxies NGC 969, NGC 974 and NGC 978 were discovered on 22 November 1827 by John Herschel with his 18.3 inch reflecting telescope in Slough, England. On 14 September 1850, the engineer Bindon Stoney set up the 72 inch «Leviathan» reflecting telescope in Birr Castle, Ireland. His employer William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, on this spot and discovered the galaxy NGC 970. NGC 973 was discovered on 30 October 1885 by the American astronomer Lewis Swift with a 16 inch reflecting telescope. IC 1815 was discovered on 20 January 1898 discovered by the French astronomer Stephane Javelle with the 76 cm lens telescope of the Observatoire de Nice.[196, 277]

Physical Properties

The galaxies NGC 969, NGC 973, NGC 974, NGC 978 and IC 1815 show similar redshifts in the range z ≈ 0.015 and belong to the NGC 973 galaxy group, which is located at a distance of about 61 Mpc to 69 Mpc. NGC 973 is a Seyfert 2 galaxy that we are looking directly at the edge. NGC 970 is a redshift of z ≈ 0.033 much further away and does not belong to the group. [145]

Revised+Historic NGC/IC Version 22/9, © 2022 Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke [277]
Name RA Dec Type bMag vMag B-V SB Dim PA z D(z) MD Dreyer Description Identification, Remarks
NGC 969 02 34 08.0 +32 56 47 Gx (S0) 13.3 12.3 1.0 12.8 1.7 × 1 3 0.015037 63.52 S, R, psbM, 1st of 5 UGC 2039, MCG 5-7-8, CGCG 505-10
NGC 970 02 34 11.7 +32 58 35 Gx (S) 15.6 14.8 0.8 12.5 0.7 × 0.2 55 0.032673 138.0 vF, vS, R, 2nd of 5 MCG 5-7-9, CGCG 505-11
NGC 973 02 34 20.1 +32 30 20 Gx (Sb) 13.6 12.8 0.8 13.3 3.7 × 0.5 48 0.016195 68.41 62.630 eeF, S, mE, pB * nr sp UGC 2048, MCG 5-7-13, CGCG 505-14, IRAS 02313+3217, FGC 314, KUG 0231+322
NGC 974 02 34 25.7 +32 57 18 Gx (Sb) 13.6 12.8 0.8 13.4 1.7 × 1.2 63 0.015010 63.40 vF, R, bM, 4th of 5 UGC 2049, MCG 5-7-12, CGCG 505-15, NPM1G +32.0104, IRAS 02314+3243
NGC 978 02 34 47.0 +32 50 42 Gx (E-S0) 13.2 12.2 1.0 12.6 1.3 × 1 62 0.015831 66.87 pB, R, 5th of 5 NGC 978A, UGC 2057, MCG 5-7-16, CGCG 505-18, KCPG 71A
NGC 978 A 02 34 47.0 +32 50 42 dup 13.2 12.2 1.0 12.6 1.3 × 1 62 0.015831 66.87 pB, R, 5th of 5 NGC 978, UGC 2057, MCG 5-7-16, CGCG 505-18, KCPG 71A
NGC 978 B 02 34 48.1 +32 50 33 Gx (S0) 15.5 14.5 1.0 11.6 0.4 × 0.2 166 0.014462 61.09 pB, R, 5th of 5 MCG 5-7-17, KCPG 71B
IC 1815 02 34 19.9 +32 25 48 Gx (SB0) 14.3 13.3 1.0 13.6 1.4 × 1.1 141 0.015684 66.25 F, S, R, gbMN UGC 2047, MCG 5-7-14, CGCG 505-13, NPM1G +32.0103

Finder Chart

The galaxy is located in the constellation Triangulum. The best time to observe is July to February, when it is highest at night.

Finder Chart NGC 973 Galaxy Group
NGC 973 Galaxy Group in constellation Triangulum. Charts created using SkySafari 6 Pro and STScI Digitized Sky Survey. Limiting magnitudes: Constellation chart ~6.5 mag, DSS2 close-ups ~20 mag. [149, 160]

More Objects Nearby (±15°)

References