NGC 266
| NGC 266 | |
|---|---|
NGC 266 is the galaxy in the center-left of this photo. The bright star in the center is SAO 54174. | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Right ascension | 00h 49m 47.81400s |
| Declination | +32° 16′ 39.8067″ |
| Redshift | 0.015547 |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 4,565.3±15.3 km/s |
| Distance | 197 Mly (60.3 Mpc) |
| Group or cluster | NGC 315 Group |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 12.54 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SB(rs)ab |
| Size | 223,150 ly (68.45 kpc) (estimated) |
| Apparent size (V) | 3.0' × 2.9' |
| Other designations | |
| IRAS 00471+3200, 2MASX J00494779+3216398, UGC 508, MCG +05-03-009, PGC 2901, CGCG 501-022 | |
NGC 266 is a massive barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces. NGC 266 is located at a distance of 197 megalight-years from the Milky Way. It was discovered on September 12, 1784, by William Herschel. The form of this barred galaxy is described by its morphological classification of SB(rs)ab, which indicates a quasi-ring-like structure (rs) and moderate-to-tightly wound spiral arms (ab).
NGC 266 is an LINER-type active galaxy. It has a moderate star formation rate estimated at 2.4 M☉·yr−1. A diffuse X-ray emission from hot gas has been detected around this galaxy, extending out to a radius of at least 70,000 light years. This emission not being driven by winds from a starburst region, so the root cause is unknown.