Object of the Week November 10, 2013 – NGC1300

[Dragan]

NGC 1300
UGCA 66

Eridanus

RA 13 19 40.8
DEC -19 24 41

Type: Galaxy SB(rs)bc

Size: 5.9’ x 4.9’

Mag: 10.3

Discovered in 1835 by William Herschel, NGC 1300 is the embodiment of a face-on barred spiral galaxy. Lying approximately 61 million light years towards the constellation Eridanus, NGC1300 is a prominent member of the Eridanus Cluster, a galaxy cluster containing approximately 200 members.

During my research of this weeks object, I learned that NGC1300 contained a “grand design” spiral structure or “spiral disk”, a feature commonly observed in the cores of galaxies that contained a large prominent bar. (This is a feature visible in the attached HST pictures) Theory was that these spiral structures, within the core of a barred spiral galaxy, would feed gas from the bar to a black hole situated at the core of the host galaxy. The problem was that NGC1300 wasn’t believed to contain a blackhole. Early observations did not indicate a blackhole existed at the galaxy’s core. Why did 1300 contain this spiral structure so commonly associated with blackholes but not host a blackhole? Digging further I found that in 2005, a team of astronomers released a paper announcing the discovery of a blackhole. The paper revealed that NGC1300 contains a blackhole on the order of 66 million solar masses! So not only does NGC1300 have a blackhole, but it contains a supermassive blackhole! http://arxiv.org/ftp/astro-ph/papers/0502/0502573.pdf What I personally don't understand is how so many sources online still reflect the old theory of NGC1300 not containing a blackhole.

In the eyepiece, this weeks OOTW is always a spectacular sight. In my 25, both arms are visible with the bar being somewhat bright and elongated. I even tend to see some mottling. I have also found that the southern arm tends to be more prominent than the other. And though I’ve read reports of some observers having seen NGC1300 in scopes as little as 8” in aperture, I’m not certain what the smallest scope that is needed to make out any arms or bar.

One last note, being placed at -19 in declination makes it a decent target for mid latitude observers both north and south of the equator! So next time you’re out, be sure to give NGC1300 a good onceover.

And remember,

“Give it a go and let us know!
Good luck and great viewing!”

NGC1300_DSS.jpg
(DSS)

NGC1300_DSS_invert.jpg
(DSS Invert)

NGC1300_HST.jpg
(HST)

ngc1300_hst_core.jpg
(HST Core)