02h14m03.5s, −27° 52′38″| NGC 855 | |
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| Observation data | |
| Constellation | Triangulum[1] |
| Right ascension | 02h14m 03,5s[1] |
| Declination | 27° 52′ 38″[1] |
| Redshift | 0.001975±0.000017[1] |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 592 ± 5 km/s[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 12,6[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 13,3[1] |
| Other designations | |
| NGC 855 • UGC 1718 • PGC 8557 • CGCG 504-035 • MCG +05-06-016 • IRAS 02111+2738 • KUG 0211+276 • 2MASX J02140361+2752378 • CN 26 613 | |
NGC 855 is a star-forming dwarf elliptical galaxy located in the Triangulum constellation.[2] The discovery and a first description (as H 26 613)[3] was realized by William Herschel on 26th October 1786 and the findings made public through his Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars, published the same year.[4]
NGC 855's relative velocity to the cosmic microwave background is 343 ± 18 km/s (343 ± 18) km/s, corresponding to a Hubble distance of 5.06 ± 0.44 Mpc (~16.5 million ly).[1] There is some uncertainty about its precise distance since two surface brightness fluctuation measurements give a distance of 9.280 ± 0.636 Mpc (~30.3 million ly), a range outside the Hubble distance determined by the galaxy's redshift survey.[5]
Using infrared data collected from two regions in the center of the galaxy by the Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers were able to suggest NGC 855 to be a star-forming galaxy.[2] Its HI distribution (Neutral atomic hydrogen emission lines) suggests the star-forming activity might have been triggered by a minor merger.[2]
