NGC 4298 is a
flocculent
Flocculation, in the field of chemistry, is a process by which colloidal particles come out of suspension to sediment under the form of floc or flake, either spontaneously or due to the addition of a clarifying agent. The action differs from pr ...
located about 53 million
light-years away in the constellation
Coma Berenices
Coma Berenices is an ancient asterism in the northern sky, which has been defined as one of the 88 modern constellations. It is in the direction of the fourth galactic quadrant, between Leo and Boötes, and it is visible in both hemisphe ...
. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer
William Herschel
Frederick William Herschel (; german: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel; 15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822) was a German-born British astronomer and composer. He frequently collaborated with his younger sister and fellow astronomer Caroline ...
on April 8, 1784 and is a member of the
Virgo Cluster
The Virgo Cluster is a large cluster of galaxies whose center is 53.8 ± 0.3 Mly (16.5 ± 0.1 Mpc) away in the constellation Virgo. Comprising approximately 1,300 (and possibly up to 2,000) member galaxies, the cluster forms the heart of the la ...
.
NGC 4298 may harbor an
intermediate-mass black hole
An intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) is a class of black hole with mass in the range 102–105 solar masses: significantly more than stellar black holes but less than the 105–109 solar mass supermassive black holes. Several IMBH candidate obje ...
with an estimated mass ranging from 20,000 (
M☉) to 500,000 (
M☉)
solar masses
The solar mass () is a standard unit of mass in astronomy, equal to approximately . It is often used to indicate the masses of other stars, as well as stellar clusters, nebulae, galaxies and black holes. It is approximately equal to the mass of ...
.
Interaction with NGC 4302
NGC 4298 appears to form a pair with
and appears to
interact
Advocates for Informed Choice, dba interACT or interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization using innovative strategies to advocate for the legal and human rights of children with intersex traits. The organizati ...
with
NGC 4302.
Evidence for an interaction between the two galaxies are that NGC 4298 exhibits a lopsided, asymmetrical distribution of stars,
a tidal bridge that connects it to
NGC 4302,
a prodigious rate of
star formation and an HI-tail. However, the tail is also the result of
ram pressure
Ram pressure is a pressure exerted on a body moving through a fluid medium, caused by relative bulk motion of the fluid rather than random thermal motion. It causes a drag force to be exerted on the body. Ram pressure is given in tensor form as
...
.
The two galaxies are separated from a projected distance of ~.
Ram-pressure stripping
The presence of a truncated gas disc,
an asymmetric 6 cm polarized radio continuum distribution,
an HI-tail,
and asymmetries of gas in a similar direction as the
ram pressure
Ram pressure is a pressure exerted on a body moving through a fluid medium, caused by relative bulk motion of the fluid rather than random thermal motion. It causes a drag force to be exerted on the body. Ram pressure is given in tensor form as
...
stripped gas in
NGC 4302 suggest that NGC 4298 is under going
ram pressure
Ram pressure is a pressure exerted on a body moving through a fluid medium, caused by relative bulk motion of the fluid rather than random thermal motion. It causes a drag force to be exerted on the body. Ram pressure is given in tensor form as
...
.
See also
*
List of NGC objects (4001–5000)
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:NGC 4298
4298
7412
39950
Coma Berenices
Astronomical objects discovered in 1784
Flocculent spiral galaxies
Virgo Cluster
Interacting galaxies
Discoveries by William Herschel