Circinus galaxy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Circinus galaxy |
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Circinus galaxy seen with Hubble Telescope
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| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Right ascension | 14h 13m 9.9s |
| Declination | ±65° 20′ 21″ |
| Redshift | 426±25 km/s |
| Distance | 13 Mly |
| Type | Seyfert galaxy |
| Notable features | Visible with just a little telescope |
| Other designations | |
| ESO 97-G13, LEDA 50779, WKK 3050, CGS 007, RR 269b, 2MIG 1950, HIZSS 086, 11HUGS 368, GMA99 1, SPB 246, SWIFT J1412.9-6552 | |
| See also: Galaxy, List of galaxies | |
The Circinus galaxy (also known as ESO 97-G13) is a special type of galaxy called a Seyfert galaxy. This means it's super bright and sends out lots of energy, like different kinds of light and radio waves.
About the Circinus Galaxy
The Circinus galaxy is one of the closest galaxies to our own, the Milky Way. It's about 13 million light years away from us. A light-year is how far light travels in one year, which is a really, really long distance!
This galaxy is found in a group of stars called a constellation that has the same name, Circinus (constellation). You can even see the Circinus galaxy with a small telescope, which is pretty cool!
Where is the Circinus Galaxy?
The Circinus galaxy is located just a little bit below the main flat part of our Milky Way galaxy. This flat part is called the galactic plane.
The galaxy has two main rings of gas and dust. The outer ring is about 700 light-years from the very center of the galaxy. The inner ring is much closer, only about 130 light-years from the center.
Why Was It Hard to Find?
Even though it's quite close to us and bright, the Circinus galaxy wasn't discovered until 1977. This is because it's hidden behind a lot of dust and gas in our own Milky Way galaxy. Imagine trying to see something far away through a thick fog – that's kind of what it was like! The dust blocked our view for a long time.
