In the following article the topic of NGC 3239 will be addressed from different perspectives, with the aim of providing a complete and detailed view of this topic. Fundamental aspects will be analyzed, different opinions will be explored and specific cases will be presented that exemplify the importance and relevance of NGC 3239 today. Likewise, relevant data, updated statistics will be presented and the impact that NGC 3239 has had in various areas of society will be delved into. Through this article we aim to provide the reader with solid and up-to-date knowledge about NGC 3239, so that they can thoroughly understand this topic and form their own opinion about it.
| NGC 3239 | |
|---|---|
Image of NGC 3239 (top center) as taken by the Mount Lemmon Sky Center, the bright spot inside the irregular galaxy is SN 2012A | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Leo |
| Right ascension | 10h 25m 06.24s[1] |
| Declination | +17° 09′ 37.8″[1] |
| Distance | 86 Mly (26.4 Mpc)h−1 0.73 |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 13.5[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | IB(s)mpec[1] |
| Other designations | |
| Arp 263, UGC 5637, MCG +03-27-025, PGC 30560[1] | |
NGC 3239 is an irregular galaxy in the constellation of Leo.[2] The galaxy was discovered in 1784 by William Herschel[3] and is part of the New General Catalogue. It harbors a large and relatively bright H II region in its southeastern section that was first cataloged by Russian astronomer Boris Vorontsov-Velyaminov as VV95b.[4] It's believed that NGC 3239 is the result of a galactic merger with a low-mass galaxy.[5]
One supernova has been observed in NGC 3239. SN 2012A (Type II-P, mag. 14.6) was discovered by Bob Moore, Jack Newton, and Tim Puckett on 7 January 2012.[6][7] It reached a peak visual magnitude of +13.6.[8][9] Later analysis concluded that the progenitor was a red supergiant with 10 to 15 times the mass of the sun.[10]