NGC 5866 Group
Encyclopedia
The NGC 5866 Group is a small group of galaxies located in the constellation
Draco
. The group is named after NGC 5866
, the galaxy with the highest apparent magnitude
in the group, although some galaxy group catalogs list NGC 5907
as the brightest member.
Other possible members galaxies (galaxies listed in only one or two of the lists from the above references) include NGC 5866B, NGC 5963, UGC 9776, and UGC 9816.
(which contains the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)
and its companion galaxies) and the M51 Group
(which contains the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)
, the Sunflower Galaxy (M63)
, and several other galaxies). The distances to these three groups (as determined from the distances to the individual member galaxies) are similar, which suggests that the M51 Group, the M101 Group, and the NGC 5866 Group are actually part of a large, loose, elongated structure. However, most group identification methods (including those used by the references cited above) identify these three groups as separate entities.
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Draco
Draco (constellation)
Draco is a constellation in the far northern sky. Its name is Latin for dragon. Draco is circumpolar for many observers in the northern hemisphere...
. The group is named after NGC 5866
NGC 5866
NGC 5866 is a relatively bright lenticular or spiral galaxy in the constellation Draco. NGC 5866 was probably discovered by Pierre Méchain or Charles Messier in 1781, and independently found by William Herschel in 1788.-Dust disk:One of the most outstanding features of NGC 5866 is the extended...
, the galaxy with the highest apparent magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
in the group, although some galaxy group catalogs list NGC 5907
NGC 5907
NGC 5907 is a spiral galaxy located approximately 50 million light years from Earth. It has an anomalously low metallicity and few detectable giant stars, being apparently composed almost entirely of dwarf stars.It is a member of the NGC 5866 Group....
as the brightest member.
Members
The table below lists galaxies that have been consistently identified as group members in the Nearby Galaxies Catalog, the Lyons Groups of Galaxies (LGG) Catalog, and the three group lists created from the Nearby Optical Galaxy sample of Giuricin et al..| Name | Type | R.A. Right ascension Right ascension is the astronomical term for one of the two coordinates of a point on the celestial sphere when using the equatorial coordinate system. The other coordinate is the declination.-Explanation:... (J2000) |
Dec. Declination In astronomy, declination is one of the two coordinates of the equatorial coordinate system, the other being either right ascension or hour angle. Declination in astronomy is comparable to geographic latitude, but projected onto the celestial sphere. Declination is measured in degrees north and... (J2000) |
Redshift Redshift In physics , redshift happens when light seen coming from an object is proportionally increased in wavelength, or shifted to the red end of the spectrum... (km/s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Apparent Magnitude Apparent magnitude The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 5866 NGC 5866 NGC 5866 is a relatively bright lenticular or spiral galaxy in the constellation Draco. NGC 5866 was probably discovered by Pierre Méchain or Charles Messier in 1781, and independently found by William Herschel in 1788.-Dust disk:One of the most outstanding features of NGC 5866 is the extended... |
S0 | 672 ± 9 | 10.7 | ||
| NGC 5879 NGC 5879 NGC 5879 is a spiral galaxy in Draco constellation. The galaxy was discovered in 1788 by William Herschel. It is a member of the NGC 5866 Group.... |
SA(rs)bc | 772 ± 5 | 12.4 | ||
| NGC 5907 NGC 5907 NGC 5907 is a spiral galaxy located approximately 50 million light years from Earth. It has an anomalously low metallicity and few detectable giant stars, being apparently composed almost entirely of dwarf stars.It is a member of the NGC 5866 Group.... |
SA(s)c | 667 ± 3 | 11.1 | ||
Other possible members galaxies (galaxies listed in only one or two of the lists from the above references) include NGC 5866B, NGC 5963, UGC 9776, and UGC 9816.
Nearby Groups
The NGC 5866 Group is located to the northwest of both the M101 GroupM101 Group
The M101 Group is a loose group of galaxies located in Ursa Major. The group is named after the brightest galaxy in the group, the Pinwheel Galaxy . Most of the other members of the group are companions of the Pinwheel Galaxy. The group itself is one of many located within the Virgo Supercluster...
(which contains the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)
Pinwheel Galaxy
The Pinwheel Galaxy is a face-on spiral galaxy distanced 21 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, first discovered by Pierre Méchain on March 27, 1781, and communicated to Charles Messier who verified its position for inclusion in the Messier Catalogue as one of its final...
and its companion galaxies) and the M51 Group
M51 Group
The M51 Group is a group of galaxies located in Canes Venatici. The group is named after the brightest galaxy in the group, the Whirlpool Galaxy...
(which contains the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)
Whirlpool Galaxy
The Whirlpool Galaxy is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy that is estimated to be 23 ± 4 million light-years from the Milky Way Galaxy. in the constellation Canes Venatici...
, the Sunflower Galaxy (M63)
Sunflower Galaxy
The Sunflower Galaxy is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici consisting of a central disc surrounded by many short spiral arm segments...
, and several other galaxies). The distances to these three groups (as determined from the distances to the individual member galaxies) are similar, which suggests that the M51 Group, the M101 Group, and the NGC 5866 Group are actually part of a large, loose, elongated structure. However, most group identification methods (including those used by the references cited above) identify these three groups as separate entities.