Right ascension 12 52 56.05 Redshift 986 ± 5 km/s Type SB(r)0^0^ Magnitude 10.1 Apparent magnitude (V) 10.1 | Declination +11° 13′ 51″ Distance 58 Mly (17.8 Mpc) Apparent size (V) 8′.7 × 1′.7 | |
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Similar NGC 4535, NGC 4866, NGC 4698, NGC 4517, NGC 4550 | ||
2014 11 5 ngc 4762 astronomy picture of the day
NGC 4762 is an edge-on lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It is at a distance of 60 million light years and is a member of the Virgo Cluster. The edge-on view of this particular galaxy, originally considered to be a barred spiral galaxy, makes it difficult to determine its true shape, but it is considered that the galaxy consists of four main components — a central bulge, a bar, a thick disc and an outer ring. The galaxy's disc is asymmetric and warped, which could be explained by NGC 4762 mergering with a smaller galaxy in the past. The remains of this former companion may then have settled within NGC 4762's disc, redistributing the gas and stars and so changing the disc's morphology.
NGC 4762 contains a Liner-type active galactic nucleus, a highly energetic central region. This nucleus is detectable due to its particular spectral line emission, allowing astronomers to measure the composition of the region.