NGC 3314 is a pair of overlapping spiral galaxies between 117 and 140 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra. This unique alignment gives astronomers the opportunity to measure the properties of interstellar dust in the face-on foreground galaxy (NGC 3314a). The dust appears dark against the background galaxy (NGC 3314b). Unlike interacting galaxies, the two components of NGC 3314 are physically unrelated. It[clarification needed] was discovered in April 1999.
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| NGC 3314 | |
|---|---|
NGC 3314a (foreground) and NGC 3314b (background) taken by the Hubble Space Telescope | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Right ascension | 10h 37m 12.5s |
| Declination | −27° 41′ 05″ |
| Redshift | +0.0095 (a) +0.01548 (b) |
| Distance | 117 Mly (a) 140 million ly (b) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +12.5 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SBbc/SAab |
| Apparent size (V) | 2′.6 × 1′.7 |
| Notable features | galaxy overlapping another |
| Other designations | |
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In a March 2000 observation of the galaxies, a prominent green star-like object was seen in one of the arms. Astronomers theorized that it could have been a supernova, but the unique filtering properties of the foreground galaxy made it difficult to decide definitively.[1]
Both galaxies are members of the Hydra Cluster.[2]
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