Right ascension 14 33 24.331 Helio radial velocity 1,582 ± 5 km/s Constellation Virgo | Declination +04° 27′ 01.75″ Type SA(s)d | |
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Distance 80.9 ± 5.5 million light years (24.8 ± 1.7 Mpc) Mass 7010570000000000000♠5.7×10 M☉ People also search for NGC 5678, NGC 5690, NGC 5669 | ||
NGC 5668 is a nearly face-on spiral galaxy located about 81 million light years away in the constellation Virgo. As seen from the Earth, it is inclined by an angle of 18° to the line of sight along a position angle of 145°. The morphological classification in the De Vaucouleurs system is SA(s)d, indicating a pure spiral structure with loosely wound arms. However, optical images of the galaxy indicate the presence of a weak bar structure spanning an angle of 12″ across the nucleus. There is a dwarf galaxy located around 650×103 ly (200 kpc) to the southeast of NGC 5668, and the two may be gravitationally interacting.
Three supernovae have been observed in this galaxy: SN 1952G, SN 1954B, and SN 2004G. The last, a type II supernova, was initially imaged on January 19, 2004, at 43" to the west and 12".5 south of the galaxy core. High velocity clouds of neutral hydrogen have been observed in NGC 5668, which may have their origin in supernova explosions and strong stellar winds.