Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  NGC 4485  ·  NGC 4490
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Peculiar Galaxies NGC 4490 and 4485, M.J. Post
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Peculiar Galaxies NGC 4490 and 4485

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Peculiar Galaxies NGC 4490 and 4485, M.J. Post
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Peculiar Galaxies NGC 4490 and 4485

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Description

These two galaxies are about to "collide," but have not yet officially done so. Radio studies indicate that star formation has not increased in the larger one (NGC 4490), but has dramatically increased in the smaller one (NGC 4485). Both are 25 Million light years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. Together they are known at ARP 269.

Someone has figured out that NGC 4490 was originally a barred spiral. But no such structure can be observed today because of strong gravitational tides between the two galaxies. Also, NGC 4490 has two nuclei, only one of which can be observed visually. The other is seen in IR and radio images. The double nucleus suggests that there was an earlier merger with a third galaxy. Two supernovae have occurred recently, in 1982 and 2008.

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Peculiar Galaxies NGC 4490 and 4485, M.J. Post