NGC 5597

❧

Wikipedia

NGC 5597
NGC 5597 imaged by Legacy Surveys
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationLibra
Right ascension14h 24m 27.4115s[1]
Declination−16° 45′ 46.598″[1]
Redshift0.009030±0.0000170[1]
Heliocentric radial velocity2,707±5 km/s[1]
Distance125.90 Mly (38.600 Mpc)[1]
Group or clusterHOLM 638, VV 446
Apparent magnitude (V)12.60[1]
Characteristics
TypeSAB(s)cd[1]
Size~83,900 ly (25.73 kpc) (estimated)[1]
Apparent size (V)2.1′ × 1.7′[1]
Other designations
HOLM 638B, IRAS 14216-1632, 2MASX J14242744-1645457, MCG -03-37-002, PGC 51456, VV 446 NED02[1]

NGC 5597 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation of Libra. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is 2,956±18 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 142.2 ± 10.0 Mly (43.59 ± 3.06 Mpc).[1] However, one non-redshift measurement gives a much closer distance estimate of 125.90 Mly (38.600 Mpc).[2] It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 14 May 1784.[3][4]

NGC 5597 is a Seyfert I galaxy, i.e. it has a quasar-like nucleus with very high surface brightnesses whose spectra reveal strong, high-ionisation emission lines, but unlike quasars, the host galaxy is clearly detectable.[5][6]

Pair of galaxies

NGC 5595 (upper right) and NGC 5597 (lower left) imaged by Pan-STARRS

NGC 5597 and NGC 5595 are listed together as Holm 638 in Erik Holmberg's A Study of Double and Multiple Galaxies Together with Inquiries into some General Metagalactic Problems, published in 1937.[7] The two galaxies are also listed together as VV 446 in part II of the Atlas and Catalogue of Interacting Galaxies.[8]

Supernovae

Two supernovae have been observed in NGC 5597:

  • SN 1981E (Type II, mag. 17) was discovered by Marina Wischnjewsky on 29 May 1981.[9][10]
  • SN 2012es (Type IIb, mag. 16.3) was discovered by L. A. G. "Berto" Monard on 12 August 2012.[11][12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Results for object NGC 5597". NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. NASA and Caltech. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  2. ↑ "Distance Results for NGC 5597". NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. NASA. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  3. ↑ Herschel, William (1786). "Catalogue of One Thousand New Nebulae and Clusters of Stars" (PDF). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. 76: 457–499. Bibcode:1786RSPT...76..457H. doi:10.1098/rstl.1786.0027.
  4. ↑ Seligman, Courtney. "New General Catalogue Objects: NGC 5597". Celestial Atlas. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  5. ↑ Chen, Yan-Ping; Zaw, Ingyin; Farrar, Glennys R.; Elgamal, Sana (2022). "A Uniformly Selected, Southern-sky 6dF, Optical AGN Catalog". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 258 (2): 29. arXiv:2111.13217. Bibcode:2022ApJS..258...29C. doi:10.3847/1538-4365/ac4157.
  6. ↑ "NGC 5597". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  7. ↑ Holmberg, Erik (1937). "A Study of Double and Multiple Galaxies Together with Inquiries into some General Metagalactic Problems". Annals of the Observatory of Lund. 6: 1. Bibcode:1937AnLun...6....1H.
  8. ↑ Vorontsov-Velyaminov, B. A. (1977). "Atlas of interacting galaxies, Part II and the concept of fragmentation of galaxies". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series. 28: 1. Bibcode:1977A&AS...28....1V.
  9. ↑ Torres, C.; Wischnjewsky, M.; Gonzalez, E. (1981). "Possible Supernova in NGC 5597". International Astronomical Union Circular (3609): 1. Bibcode:1981IAUC.3609....1T.
  10. ↑ "SN 1981E". Transient Name Server. IAU. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  11. ↑ Monard, L. A. G.; Turatto, M.; Benetti, S.; Pastorello, A.; Cellier-Holtzem, F.; Inserra, C.; Smartt, S.; Fraser, M.; Wright, D. (2012). "Supernova 2012es in NGC 5597 = PSN J14242911-1645392". Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams (3225): 1. Bibcode:2012CBET.3225....1M.
  12. ↑ "SN 2012es". Transient Name Server. IAU. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  • Media related to NGC 5597 at Wikimedia Commons
  • NGC 5597 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images