Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Virgo (Vir)  ·  Contains:  IC 3393  ·  NGC 4425  ·  NGC 4435  ·  NGC 4438  ·  NGC 4458  ·  NGC 4461  ·  The Eyes
NGC4438, bawind Lin
NGC4438
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NGC4438

NGC4438, bawind Lin
NGC4438
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NGC4438

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Description

GC 4438 is the most curious interacting galaxy in the Virgo Cluster, due to the uncertainty surrounding the energy mechanism that heats the nuclear source; this energy mechanism may be a starburst region, or a black hole-powered active galactic nucleus (AGN). Both hypotheses are currently under investigation by astronomers.

This galaxy shows a highly distorted disk, including long tidal tails due to the gravitational interactions with other galaxies in the cluster and its companion. The aforementioned features explain why sources differ to classify it as a lenticular or spiral galaxy. NGC 4438 also shows signs of a past, extended, - but modest - starburst,[4] a considerable deficiency of neutral hydrogen, as well as a displacement of the components of its interstellar medium - atomic hydrogen, molecular hydrogen, interstellar dust, and hot gas - in the direction of NGC 4435. This observation suggests both a tidal interaction with NGC 4435 and the effects of ram-pressure stripping[5] as NGC 4438 moves at high speed through Virgo's intracluster medium, increased by the encounter between both galaxies.[6][7]

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    NGC4438, bawind Lin
    Original
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    NGC4438, bawind Lin
    B

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NGC4438, bawind Lin

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China Lijiang Gemini Observatory