Seyfert's Sextet
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{{Galaxy cluster | name = Seyfert's Sextet | image = Image:Seyfert Sextet full.jpg Seyfert's Sextet | type = Compact galaxy group]] | distance = 190 million | constellation = Serpens Caput | member_no = ~6 | main_member = NGC 6027 | names = HCG 79 }}
Seyfert's Sextet is a group of galaxies about 190 million light-years away in the constellation Serpens Caput. These galaxies are gravitational forced exerted between its members. There are seemingly six members, but closer inspection reveals only four. One is far more distant than the others and does not play a role in the interaction. Another is not a galaxy in its own right but rather a string of stars torn loose from one of the other galaxies by gravitational pull. The group was discovered by Carl Keenan Seyfert in the 1940s. Scientists speculate that the tearing apart will continue for hundreds of millions of years, and that ultimately the group will transform into one giant elliptical galaxy.
Members
| Name | Type | Distance from Sun (million ly) | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 6027 | S0 pec. | ~190 | +14.7 |
| NGC 6027A | S0 pec. | ~190 | +15.4 |
| NGC 6027B | SAa pec. | ~190 | +15.4 |
| NGC 6027C | SB(S)c | ~190 | +16 |
| NGC 6027D | SB(S)bc pec. | ~190 | +15.6 |
| NGC 6027E | SB0 pec. | ~190 | +16.5 |
See also