Elliptical galaxy NGC 474 — excerpt from the Dark Energy Survey

Elliptical galaxies are generally characterized by their relatively smooth appearance when compared with spiral galaxies (one of which is to the left), which have more flocculent structures interwoven with dust lanes and spiral arms. NGC 474 is at a distance of about 100 million light-years in the constellation of Pisces. This image shows unusual structures around NGC 474 characterized as tidal tails and shell-like structures made up of hundreds of millions of stars. These features are due to recent mergers (within the last billion years) or close interactions with smaller infalling dwarf galaxies. 

This image is an excerpt from the Dark Energy Survey, which has released a massive, public collection of astronomical data and calibrated images from six years of work. The Dark Energy Survey is a global collaboration that includes the Department of Energy's (DOE) Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), and NSF NOIRLab. The image was taken with the Dark Energy Camera, fabricated by DOE, on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope.

The quality of the survey can be appreciated by diving into the zoomable version of this wider excerpt showing a background tapestry of thousands of distant galaxies. 

Credit:

DES/DOE/Fermilab/NCSA & CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA 
Acknowledgments: Image processing: DES, Jen Miller (Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), Travis Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), Mahdi Zamani & Davide de Martin

About the Image

Id:noirlab2106a
Type:Observation
Release date:Jan. 14, 2021, 9 a.m.
Related releases:noirlab2106
Size:5513 x 3038 px

About the Object

Name:NGC 474
Constellation:Pisces
Category:Galaxies

Image Formats

Large JPEGLarge JPEG
3.6 MB
Screensize JPEGScreensize JPEG
185.8 KB

Zoomable


Wallpapers

1024x7681024x768
234.3 KB
1280x10241280x1024
349.3 KB
1600x12001600x1200
485.3 KB
1920x12001920x1200
580.5 KB
2048x15362048x1536
3.6 MB

Coordinates

ObjectValue
Position (RA):1 20 6.22
Position (Dec):3° 25' 10.38"
Field of view:24.16 x 13.31 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 180.0° left of vertical


Colors & filters

BandWave-lengthTele-scope
Optical
G
474 nmVíctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope
DECam
Optical
R
644 nmVíctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope
DECam
Optical
I
785 nmVíctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope
DECam