NGC 1313
| NGC 1313 | ||
.png) | ||
| A photograph of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1313 | ||
| constellation | Reticulum | |
| right ascension | 03h 18m 16s | |
| declination | –66° 29′ 54″ | |
| brightness | 9.2 mag | |
| size | 9.1′ × 6.9′ | |
| Distance | 12.8 million ly | |
NGC 1313 is a barred spiral galaxy situated in the southern constellation of Reticulum. This galaxy, classified as type SB(s)d, displays a highly complex morphology. It is located at a distance of 12.8 million light-years in the outer regions of the Local Group.
Catalogued dimensions of 9.1 by 6.9 arcminutes include the faint outer extensions of the galaxy, corresponding to a diameter of approximately 34,000 light-years. The central bar structure extends 1.6 arcminutes, equivalent to 16,000 light-years, and is oriented north-south. The galaxy's two spiral arms appear fragmented and are rich with hot, bright stars and numerous H II regions. The star-formation rate in these areas exceeds that of the Magellanic Clouds. Several well-known ultraluminous X-ray sources are located within this galaxy, and observations have identified 70 Wolf-Rayet stars through their characteristic emission-line spectra.
The outer halo of NGC 1313 exhibits a very irregular form with disturbances in the brightness profile and subtle colour variations, particularly noticeable at the left edge. These features are likely tidal tails resulting from past gravitational interactions. The absence of a second nucleus suggests that NGC 1313's current structure may have formed through multiple revolutions of a now completely dissolved dwarf galaxy. This interaction process fragmented the outer regions of the spiral arms, leaving behind minimal gas content.
This photographic representation was captured using a 368-mm reflector telescope and SBIG STL-11000 camera, with a total exposure time of 900 minutes from the Fair Dinkum Skies observatory in Australia.[1]
