NGC 4299 | |
---|---|
Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
Constellation | Virgo |
Right ascension | 12h21m 40.5s[1] |
Declination | 11° 30′ 00″[1] |
Redshift | 0.000791[1] |
Heliocentric radial velocity | 237 km/s[1] |
Distance | 55 Mly (16.8 Mpc)[1] |
Grouporcluster | Virgo Cluster |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 12.88[1] |
Characteristics | |
Type | SAB(s)dm[1] |
Size | ~36,000 ly (11 kpc) (estimated)[1] |
Apparent size (V) | 1.7 x 1.6[1] |
Other designations | |
VCC 491, IRAS 12191+1146, UGC 7414, MCG +02-32-010, PGC 39968, CGCG 70-25[1] |
NGC 4299 is a featureless spiral galaxy[2] located about 55 million light-years away[3][4] in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on March 15, 1784[5] and is a member of the Virgo Cluster.[6][4][7]
NGC 4299 forms an interacting pair with NGC 4294.[8]
NGC 4299 has a fairly featureless disk[9] with a very small, weak bulge and weak, asymmetric spiral arms[10] plus numerous bright HII regions.[11][12]
At the center of NGC 4299 lies a nuclear star cluster[13][14] with a diameter of ~5.9 ly (1.8 pc).[15]
NGC 4299 has a truncated Hα disk with the outer extent of the Hα having an irregular distribution except in the southwest where it forms a well-defined ridge. This appears to be the result of ram-pressure.[12]
As a result of a tidal interaction with NGC 4294, NGC 4299 has a disturbed optical and HI morphology,[16][11] with asymmetric spiral arms, a small, weak bar[10] and a high global star formation rate that appears to have been enhanced by ram-pressure.[12]
Chung et al. identified that NGC 4299 has a one sided[17][18] tail of neutral atomic hydrogen (HI).[10][19] The tail points to the southwest[17][8] and appears to be a result of ram-pressure[19][20][10] or by a tidal interaction with NGC 4294.[10] The tail has no optical counterpart[10][17] and is oriented parallel to the HI tail found in NGC 4294.[17]
NGC 4299 appears to have a second tail pointing to the southeast that is much broader and lower in HI surface density than the main tail.[17]
NGC 4299 may harbor an intermediate-mass black hole with an estimated mass ranging from 7,000 (7*10^3) to 200,000 (2*10^5) solar masses.[21]