CGCG 396-002

CGCG 396-002
CGCG 396-002 imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation	Orion
Right ascension	05h 37m 35.9756s[1]
Declination	+01° 20′ 04.154″[1]
Redshift	0.035370±0.000160[1]
Heliocentric radial velocity	10,604±48 km/s[1]
Galactocentric velocity	10604[1]
Distance	512.0 ± 36.0 Mly (156.98 ± 11.03 Mpc)
Apparent magnitude (B)	15.7[1]
Characteristics
Size	~115,900 ly (35.54 kpc) (estimated)[1]
Apparent size (V)	0.8′ × 0.6′[1]
Notable features	Merging Galaxy
Other designations
Z 396-2, 2MASX J05373599+0120038, LEDA 17532, PGC 17532[1][2]

CGCG 396-002 is an unusual merging galaxy located in Orion. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is 10,644±48 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 512.0 ± 36.0 Mly (156.98 ± 11.03 Mpc). The first known reference to this galaxy comes from volume V of the Catalogue of Galaxies and of Clusters of Galaxies, compiled by Fritz Zwicky in 1965.^[3]

CGCG 396-002 is a radio galaxy, and is notable for its many arms and unique structure. The central part of the galaxy spans 50,000 light-years apart, but the arms surrounding it span outwards up to 165-170,000 light years.^[4]

In 2022 it was rediscovered in the Galaxy Zoo project, in which it was voted as one of the most interesting objects and to be imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope.^[5][6]

References