NGC 5495 is a very large barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Hydra. Its speed relative to the cosmic microwave background is 6,989 ± 20 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 103.1 ± 7.2 Mpc (~336 million ly). NGC 5495 was discovered by British astronomer John Herschel in 1834.
The luminosity class of NGC 5495 is III and it has a broad HI line. It also contains regions of ionized hydrogen, and is an active Seyfert 2 type galaxy.
Additionally, NGC 5495 is known to host a megamaser. There is further evidence it shows signs of H2O maser emission, detected via 70m NASA Deep Space Network antennas in Australia and Spain. The source spectra in NGC 5495 is said to have an emission signature originating from its accretion disk with an orbital velocity of ~400 km s−1.
The galaxy was selected as ESA/HUBBLE's Picture of the Week.
See also
- Whirlpool Galaxy, another spiral galaxy with a similar shape
- List of NGC objects (5001–6000)
External links
- NGC 5495 at NASA/IPAC
- NGC 5495 at SIMBAD
- NGC 5495 at SEDS
- NGC 5495 at LEDA
References
