NGC 3610 | |
---|---|
Observation data ( J2000 epoch) | |
Constellation | Ursa Major |
Right ascension | 11h 18m 25.276s [1] |
Declination | +58° 47′ 10.49″ [1] |
Redshift | 0.005694 [2] |
Heliocentric radial velocity | 1,732 km/s [3] |
Galactocentric velocity | 1,819 km/s [3] |
Distance | 106 Mly (32.5 Mpc) [4] |
Apparent magnitude (B) | 11.63 [3] |
Characteristics | |
Type | E5: [2] |
Mass | 1.01×1011 (stellar) [4] M☉ |
Size | 76,800 ly (23,560 pc) [2] |
Apparent size (V) | 1.460′ × 1.168′ [1] ( NIR) |
Other designations | |
NGC 3610, UGC 6319, LEDA 34566, PGC 34566 [5] |
NGC 3610 is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. [6] It was discovered on 8 April 1793 by German-British astronomer William Herschel. [7] This galaxy is located at a distance of 106 million light-years (32.5 Mpc) from the Milky Way, [4] and is receding with a galacto-centric radial velocity of 1,819 km/s. [3]
NGC 3610 is a relatively young elliptical galaxy which has not yet lost its disk. [6] It has a morphological classification of E5, [8] indicating a 2:1 ratio between the major and minor axes of the elliptical profile. This is a candidate merger remnant of intermediate age, with a surviving disk of gas and dusk aligned with the major axis. [9] This merger is estimated to have occurred 4±2.5 Gyr ago. The central part of the disk displays warping, [8] and is significantly younger than the remainder of the galaxy. [8]
The unusual amount of blue light emission of NGC 3610, or B–V in the UBV photometric system, suggests recent star formation. [9] The current estimated star formation rate is 0.385±0.375 M☉·yr−1. [4] There is a population of younger globular clusters orbiting the galaxy that is a likely product of the merger. The surviving population of older, metal-rich globular clusters suggests that at least one of the progenitor galaxies had a prominent bulge component. [9]