Messier 61 Explained

Messier 61 (also known as M61, NGC 4303, or the Swelling Spiral Galaxy) is an intermediate barred spiral galaxy in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. It was first discovered by Barnaba Oriani on May 5, 1779, six days before Charles Messier discovered the same galaxy. Messier had observed it on the same night as Oriani but had mistaken it for a comet.^[4] Its distance has been estimated to be 45.61 million light years from the Milky Way Galaxy. It is a member of the M61 Group of galaxies, which is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster.^[5]

Properties

M61 is one of the largest members of Virgo Cluster, and belongs to a smaller subgroup known as the S Cloud.^{[6] [7]} The morphological classification of SAB(rs)bc indicates a weakly-barred spiral (SAB) with the suggestion of a ring structure (rs) and moderate to loosely wound spiral arms.^[8] It has an active galactic nucleus^[9] and is classified as a starburst galaxy containing a massive nuclear star cluster with an estimated mass of 10⁵ solar masses and an age of 4 million years,^[10] as well as a central candidate supermassive black hole weighing around solar masses.^[11] It cohabits with an older massive star cluster as well as a likely older starburst.^[10] Evidence of significant star formation and active bright nebulae appears across M61's disk.^[12] Unlike most late-type spiral galaxies within the Virgo Cluster, M61 shows an unusual abundance of neutral hydrogen (H I).^[13]

Supernovae

Eight supernovae have been observed in M61, making it one of the most prodigious galaxies for such cataclysmic events.^{[14] [15]} These include:

• SN 1926A (type II, mag. 14)^[16] was discovered by Max Wolf and Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth on 9 May 1926.^[17]
• SN 1961I (Type II, mag. 13)^[18] was discovered by Milton Humason on 3 June 1961.^{[19] [20]}
• SN 1964F (Type II, mag. 14)^[21] was discovered by Leonida Rosino on 30 June 1964.^[22]
• SN 1999gn (Type II, mag. 16)^[23] was discovered by Alessandro Dimai on 17 December 1999.^[24]
• SN 2006ov (Type II, mag. 14.9)^[25] was discovered by Kōichi Itagaki on 24 November 2006.^[26]
• SN 2008in (Type II, mag. 14.9)^[27] was discovered by Kōichi Itagaki on 26 December 2008.^[28]
• SN 2014dt (type Ia-pec, mag. 13.6)^[29] was discovered by Kōichi Itagaki on 29 October 2014.^[30]
• SN 2020jfo (Type II, mag. 16)^{[31] [32]} was discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility on 6 May 2020.

See also

• List of Messier objects

External links

• messier.seds.org/m/m061.html

Notes and References

1. Tschöke . D. . Hensler . G. . Junkes . N.. 2000. X-rays from the barred galaxy NGC 4303. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 360 . 2 . 447–456. astro-ph/0006361. 2000A&A...360..447T.
2. Web site: NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. Results for M 61. 2006-11-18 .
3. Web site: Messier 61 . 29 April 2022 . SEDS Messier Catalog.
4. Web site: Messier 61 . 2017-01-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170106175502/http://messier.seds.org/m/m061.html . 2017-01-06.
5. Web site: The Virgo III Groups . Atlas of the Universe . 2010-11-27 .
6. Web site: Galaxy On Line Database Milano Network (GOLDMine). 2012-08-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20120603100014/http://goldmine.mib.infn.it/. 2012-06-03. dead.
7. Web site: The Virgo Cluster. 2013-04-06.
8. de Vaucouleurs . Gérard . Revised Classification of 1500 Bright Galaxies . Astrophysical Journal Supplement . April 1963 . 8 . 31 . 10.1086/190084 . 1963ApJS....8...31D.
9. Jiménez-Bailón . E. . Santos-Lleó . M. . Mas-Hesse . J. M. . Guainazzi . M. . Colina . L. . Cerviño . M. . González Delgado . Rosa M.. 2003. Nuclear Activity and Massive Star Formation in the Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nucleus NGC 4303: Chandra X-Ray Observations. The Astrophysical Journal. 593 . 1 . 127–141. 10.1086/376554. 2003ApJ...593..127J. astro-ph/0304465. 12969809 .
10. Colina . L. . Gonzalez Delgado . R. . Mas-Hesse. J. Miguel . Leitherer . C. . Jimenez Bailon . E.. 2002. Detection of a Super-Star Cluster as the Ionizing Source in the Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nucleus NGC 4303. The Astrophysical Journal. 579 . 2 . 545–553. 10.1086/342839. 2002ApJ...579..545C. free . 10261/191615 . free .
11. Pastorini . G. . Marconi . A. . Capetti . A. . Axon . D. J. . Alonso-Herrero . A.. Almudena Alonso-Herrero . Atkinson . J. . Batcheldor . D. . Carollo . C. M. . C. Marcella Carollo. Collett . J. . Dressel . L. . Hughes . M. A. . Macchetto . D. . Maciejewski . W. . Sparks . W. . van der Marel . R.. 2007. Supermassive black holes in the Sbc spiral galaxies NGC 3310, NGC 4303 and NGC 4258. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 469 . 2 . 405–423. 10.1051/0004-6361:20066784. 2007A&A...469..405P. astro-ph/0703149. 849621 .
12. Koopmann . R. . Kenney . J. D. P.. 2004. Hα Morphologies and Environmental Effects in Virgo Cluster Spiral Galaxies. The Astrophysical Journal. 613 . 2 . 866–885. 2004ApJ...613..866K. 10.1086/423191. astro-ph/0406243. 17519217 .
13. Kenney . J. D.. Young . J. S.. 1986. CO in H I-deficient Virgo cluster spiral galaxies. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 301 . L13–L17. 10.1086/184614. 1986ApJ...301L..13K. free.
14. http://messier.seds.org/m-sne.html Supernovae which have been observed in Messier catalog galaxies
15. Web site: List of Supernovae . . 2011-07-03.
16. Web site: Transient Name Server . SN1926A . . 26 November 2024.
17. Web site: Circular No. 111 . Stromgren . Elis . 15 May 1926 . Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams . Observatoire De Copenhague . 26 November 2024.
18. Web site: Transient Name Server . SN1961I . . 26 November 2024.
19. Web site: Circular No. 1761 . Thernoe . K. A. . 8 June 1961 . Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams . Observatory Copenhagen . 26 November 2024.
20. 1962PASP...74..215H . The 1961 Palomar Supernova Search . Humason . M. L. . Kearns . C. E. . Gomes . Alercio M. . Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific . 1962 . 74 . 438 . 215 . 10.1086/127790.
21. https://www.wis-tns.org/object/1964F Transient Name Server entry for SN 1964F.
22. Web site: Circular No. 1868 . Petersen . J. Otzen . 3 July 1964 . Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams . Observatory Copenhagen . 26 November 2024.
23. https://www.wis-tns.org/object/1999gn Transient Name Server entry for SN 1999gn.
24. 1999IAUC.7335....1D . Supernova 1999gn in M61 . Dimai . Alessandro . Li . W. . International Astronomical Union Circular . 1999 . 7335 . 1.
25. https://www.wis-tns.org/object/2006ov Transient Name Server entry for SN 2006ov.
26. 2006IAUC.8781....2P . Supernovae 2006ou, 2006ov, and 2006ow . Puckett . T. . Peoples . M. . Itagaki . K. . Nakano . S. . Boles . T. . Kadota . K. . International Astronomical Union Circular . 2006 . 8781 . 2.
27. https://www.wis-tns.org/object/2008in Transient Name Server entry for SN 2008in.
28. 2008CBET.1636....1N . Supernova 2008in in M61 . Nakano . S. . Kadota . K. . Wells . W. . Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams . 2008 . 1636 . 1.
29. https://www.wis-tns.org/object/2014dt Transient Name Server entry for SN 2014dt.
30. 2014CBET.4011....1N . Supernova 2014dt in M61 = PSN J12215757+0428185 . Nakano . S. . Itagaki . K. . Guido . E. . Nicolini . M. . Howes . N. . Kiyota . S. . Masi . G. . Catalano . P. . Vagnozzi . A. . Munari . U. . Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams . 2014 . 4011 . 1 .
31. Web site: SN 2020jfo . Transient Name Server . . 23 October 2021.
32. Boffi . F.R.. Sparks . W.B.. Macchetto . F.D.. 1999. A search for candidate light echoes: Photometry of supernova environments. Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series. 138. 2. 253–266. 10.1051/aas:1999274. 1999A&AS..138..253B. astro-ph/9906206 . 17688690.