Seyfert's Sextet, Hickson 79, NGC 6027

Group of Galaxies NGC 6027 (Hickson 79) in Serpens (Caput)

Seyfert's Sextet

[Seyfert's Sextet, KPNO]
Right Ascension 15:59:12 (h:m:s)
Declination +20:45.5 (deg:m)
Distance (kly)
Visual brightness (mag)
Apparent Dimension (arc min)

In 1951, Carl Keenan Seyfert (1911-1960) investigated a group of galaxies around NGC 6027 which is since known as Seyfert's Sextet (Seyfert 1951).

NGC 6027 had been discovered visually by Edouard Stephan, director of the Marseilles Observatory, in June of 1882, using an 80-cm (31.5-inch) reflector.

.. more to come soon

The image on the right was obtained by Adam Block, of the Advanced Observing Program of Kitt Peak National Observatory's Visitor Center.
Credit: Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF

  • More info and images of NGC 6027 from the Advanced Observing Program (AOP) of the Kitt Peak National Observatory's Visitor Center

    [Seyfert's Sextet, KPNO] [Seygert's Sextet, labels]

    Above image was obtained in July 1998 with the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 2.1-meter telescope, as part of the KPNO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. On the right image, the components are identified in this picture, showing their designation in the Third Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies (RC3) in upper case, the different labels used by Seyfert himself, and the redshift in kilometers per second (from the RC3, as being the most accurate). Note that different authors seem to like to relabel the components (e.g. Hickson also uses a to e, but applies them to different parts of the system).
    Credit: REU program, N.A. Sharp/NOAO/AURA/NSF

  • More information on this image (N.A. Sharp, NOAO)

    Galaxies in Seyfert's Sextet: 

     PGC   NGC    NGC    Hick-  NGC      RA  (2000.0) Dec    Size(')   mag    Type          v_r  v_r
       Seyf.  RC3     son                   NED                    NED                  NED  NOAO
                            
56584  6027b  6027   H79c   6027B  15:59:10.8 +20:45:43  0.4x0.2  15.31  S0 Pec        4053  4413
56576  6027a  6027A  H79a   6027A  15:59:11.1 +20:45:16  0.5x0.4  14.98  Sa pec        4237  4197  
56578  6027c  6027C  H79d   6027   15:59:11.8 +20:44:49  0.9x0.2  16.75  SB(s?)c pec   4620  4482  
56575  6027   6027E  H79b   6027E  15:59:12.5 +20:45:48  0.4x0.2  14.7   S0 pec        4447  4095  
56580  6027d  6027D  H79e   6027D  15:59:12.9 +20:45:35  0.2x0.2  16.47  SB(s)bc: pec 19809 19813  
56579  6027e  6027B  H79b1  6027C  15:59:14.5 +20:45:57  0.8x0.4  16.7   SB:0?         4095  4017
    Hickson and some other astronomers think that NGC 6027e (after Seyfert), his H79b1, may be a tidal extension of NGC 6027, his H79b, a cloud of interstellar matter ejected by its parent galaxy because of tidal interaction with its neighbors, and not a separate galaxy of its own.

    Galaxy NGC 6027d produced one supernova, SN 1998fe which became about 18 mag bright.

    [Seyfert's Sextet, Digital Sky Survey]

    Seyfert Sextett as photographed with the 48-inch Oschin Schmidt Telescope on Mt. Palomar, from the Digital Sky Survey [click for full 15'x15' image].

    [Seyfert's Sextet, HST]

    Seyfert's Sextett photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope

  • Original Hubble Press Release (STScI PRC 2002-22) [using Hickson's labelling]
  • This iamge was featured as Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) January 24, 2003

    References.

    Links:

    Hartmut Frommert [contact]