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Mice Galaxies

Coordinates: Sky map 12h 46m 10.1s, +30° 43′ 55″
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NGC 4676A / 4676B
The Mice Galaxies, NGC 4676A (right) / NGC 4676B (left)
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationComa Berenices
Right ascension12h 46m 10.08s[1]
Declination+30° 43′ 52.3″[1]
Redshift0.022049[2][1]
Heliocentric radial velocity6,610 km/s[1]
Galactocentric velocity6,626±1 km/s[3][1]
Distance345.1 ± 24.14 Mly (105.8 ± 7.4 Mpc)h−1
0.6774
(Comoving)[1]
326 Mly (99.95 Mpc)h−1
0.6774
(Light-travel)
Group or clusterComa Cluster[4]
Apparent magnitude (V)14.1[1]
Characteristics
TypeMult[1]
Size352,120 ly × 190,150 ly
(107.96 kpc × 58.30 kpc)
(diameter; "total" magnitude)[1][a]
Notable featuresInteracting galaxies
Other designations
Mice Galaxies,[1] IC 819 / 820,[1] UGC 7938 / 7939,[1] PGC 43062 / 43065,[1] Arp 242[1]

NGC 4676, or the Mice Galaxies, are two spiral galaxies in the constellation Coma Berenices. About 105.8 megaparsecs (345 million light-years) distant,[2][1] they have begun the process of colliding and merging. Their "mice" name refers to the long tails produced by tidal action—the relative difference between gravitational pulls on the near and far parts of each galaxy—known here as a galactic tide. It is a possibility that both galaxies, which are members of the Coma Cluster,[4] have experienced a collision, and will continue colliding until they coalesce.

The colors of the galaxies are peculiar. In NGC 4676A a core with some dark markings is surrounded by a bluish white remnant of spiral arms.[citation needed] The tail is unusual, starting out blue and terminating in a more yellowish color, despite the fact that the beginning of each arm in virtually every spiral galaxy starts yellow and terminates in a bluish color.[citation needed][clarification needed] NGC 4676B has a yellowish core and two arcs; arm remnants underneath are bluish as well.[citation needed]

The galaxies were photographed in 2002 by the Hubble Space Telescope.[5] In the background of the Mice Galaxies, there are over 3000 galaxies, at distances up to 13 billion light-years.[citation needed]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The quoted diameter in this infobox was based on NED's provided scale "Virgo + GA + Shapley" of 513 parsec/arcsec multiplied with given angular diameters.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Detailed Information for Object NGC 4676". NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Cortijo-Ferrero, C.; González Delgado, R. M.; Pérez, E.; Cid Fernandes, R.; García-Benito, R.; Di Matteo, P.; Sánchez, S. F.; De Amorim, A. L.; Lacerda, E. A. D.; López Fernández, R.; Tadhunter, C. (2017). "The spatially resolved star formation history of mergers. A comparative study of the LIRGs IC 1623, NGC 6090, NGC 2623, and Mice". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 607. arXiv:1707.05324. Bibcode:2017A&A...607A..70C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201731217.
  3. ^ . Bibcode:1991RC3.9.C...0000d. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ a b Burbidge, E. M.; Burbidge, G. R. (March 1961). "NGC 4676, a Peculiar System in the Coma Cluster of Galaxies". The Astrophysical Journal. 133: 726. Bibcode:1961ApJ...133..726B. doi:10.1086/147076. ISSN 0004-637X.
  5. ^ "Hubble's New Camera Delivers Breathtaking Views of the Universe". HubbleSite. 2002-04-30. Retrieved 2009-05-07.

Further readings

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to NGC 4676.


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