3C 401 is a powerful

radio galaxy A radio galaxy is a galaxy with giant regions of radio emission extending well beyond its visible structure. These energetic radio lobes are powered by jets from its active galactic nucleus. They have luminosities up to 1039 W at radio wa ...

located in the

constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the e ...

Draco Draco is the Latin word for serpent or dragon. Draco or Drako may also refer to: People * Draco (lawgiver) (from Greek: Δράκων; 7th century BC), the first lawgiver of ancient Athens, Greece, from whom the term ''draconian'' is derived * D ...

. It is near the center of a rich

cluster of galaxies A galaxy cluster, or a cluster of galaxies, is a structure that consists of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of galaxies that are bound together by gravity, with typical masses ranging from 1014 to 1015 solar masses. They are the second-lar ...

and dominates the cluster. That is, it is the

type-cD galaxy The type-cD galaxy (also cD-type galaxy, cD galaxy) is a galaxy morphology classification, a subtype of type-D giant elliptical galaxy. Characterized by a large halo of stars, they can be found near the centres of some rich galaxy clusters. They ...

of its cluster. It has a double nucleus, indicating that it is merging with another galaxy. 3C 401 is classified as a Fanaroff and Riley class II radio source (FR II), but has characteristics of both types of sources. FR II radio sources are brightest at the ends of their radio lobes while FR I sources are brightest toward their centers. 3C 401 has hot spots at the ends of its two extended radio lobes, but also has a bright one-sided jet like a FR I source. The spectra of this jet is also intermediate between the spectra of jets in the two types of sources.

References

Draco (constellation)

401 __NOTOC__ Year 401 ( CDI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vincentius and Fravitus (or, less frequently, year 1154 ' ...

2605547 60.29 1939+605 {{galaxy-stub