NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

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NGC5122

 

Basic Information


Location and Magnitude


Right Ascension: 13:24:14.9
Declination: -10:39:16
Constellation: VIR
Visual Magnitude: 13.4

Historic Information


Discoverer: Swift L.
Year of discovery: 1887
Discovery aperture: 16.0

Observational


Summary description: vF, S, R
Sub-type: S?

Corwin's Notes

===== NGC 5122 has faint plumes perpendicular to the major axis of the galaxy and aligned with the nucleus. On the IIIa-J plate for DSS2, the plumes extend to about three times the length of the major axis, roughly 3.5 arcmin from end to end (the major axis is about 1.1 arcmin). A popular interpretation of this is as a "polar-ring galaxy" where an outer ring is generally perpendicular to the disk of the galaxy. See Whitmore et al, AJ 100, 1489, 1990 for more on these peculiar objects. Also see IC 884.

Steve's Notes

===== NGC 5122 18" (5/29/05): fairly faint, very small, elongated 2:1 WNW-ESE, 0.4'x0.2'. Contains a sharp, stellar nucleus or a faint star is superimposed. Confusing the situation is a similar mag 14 star that is just off the WNW extension and in line with the major axis of the galaxy. Located 35' NNW of Spica. NGC 5130 lies 27' N. This is an edge-on polar-ring galaxy with extremely faint extensions perpendicular (SW-NE) to the major axis of the main body.