Messier 109
Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major
title: "Messier 109" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["barred-spiral-galaxies", "m109-group", "ursa-major", "messier-objects", "ngc-objects", "ugc-objects", "astronomical-objects-discovered-in-1781", "principal-galaxies-catalogue-objects", "mcg-objects", "iras-catalogue-objects", "discoveries-by-pierre-méchain"] description: "Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major" topic_path: "science/astronomy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_109" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox galaxy"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Messier 109 |
| image | [[Image:M109 (noao-m109hatfield).jpg |
| caption | Messier 109, as imaged during the Advanced Observing Program |
| epoch | J2000 |
| constellation name | Ursa Major |
| ra | |
| dec | |
| size_v | 7.6 × 4.7 moa |
| size | 176,170 ly (54.04 kpc) (estimated) |
| appmag_v | 9.8 |
| type | SB(rs)bc, LINER/HII |
| h_radial_v | |
| z | |
| gal_v | |
| dist_ly | 67.2 +/- |
| names | |
| references | SIMBAD: Search M109 |
| :: |
| name=Messier 109
| image=[[Image:M109 (noao-m109hatfield).jpg|300px]] | caption=Messier 109, as imaged during the Advanced Observing Program | epoch=J2000 | constellation name=Ursa Major | ra= | dec= | size_v =7.6 × 4.7 moa | size = 176,170 ly (54.04 kpc) (estimated) | appmag_v=9.8 | type=SB(rs)bc, LINER/HII | h_radial_v= |z = | gal_v= |dist_ly = 67.2 +/- | names= | references = SIMBAD: Search M109 Messier 109 (also known as NGC 3992 or the Vacuum Cleaner Galaxy) is a barred spiral galaxy exhibiting a weak inner ring structure around the central bar approximately 67.2 ± 23 million light-years away in the northern constellation Ursa Major. M109 can be seen south-east of the star Phecda (γ UMa, Gamma Ursa Majoris).
History
Messier 109 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. Two years later Charles Messier catalogued the object, as an appended object to his publication.
Between the 1920s through the 1950s, it was considered that Messier objects over 103 were not official, but later the additions, further referred target objects from Méchain, became more widely accepted. David H. Levy mentions the modern 110 object catalog while Sir Patrick Moore places the limit at 104 objects but has M105 to 109 listed as addenda. By the late 1970s all 110 objects are commonly used among astronomers and remain so.
General information
This galaxy is the most distant object in the Messier Catalog, followed by M91.
M109 has three satellite galaxies (UGC 6923, UGC 6940 and UGC 6969) and possibly more. Detailed hydrogen line observations have been obtained from M109 and its satellites. M109's H I (H one) distribution is regular with a low-level radial extension outside the stellar disc, while in the bar is a central H I hole in the gas distribution. Possibly the gas has been transported inwards by the bar, and because of the emptiness of the hole no large accretion events can have happened in the recent past.
M109 is the brightest galaxy in the M109 Group, a large group of galaxies in the constellation Ursa Major that may number over 50.
Supernova
One supernova has been observed in M109: SN1956A (TypeIa, mag. 12.3) was discovered by Howard S. Gates on 8 March 1956, using the 18-inch Schmidt telescope at the Palomar Observatory. It was located 67" east and 9" south of the center of the galaxy.
Gallery
File:M109 NGC 3992.png|M109 NGC3992, J87 Observatory File:M109HunterWilson09.jpg|Amateur image of Messier 109 File:M109 wfc3 2flat new-1-cropped.jpg|Core of galaxy M109, Hubble image captured by Wide Field Camera 3 File:Messier109Location.png|Finder chart for galaxy Messier 109 (circled in blue)
References
| title=Self-consistent models of barred spiral galaxies | journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics| volume=309 | pages=381–402| bibcode=1996A&A...309..381K
| url=http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/| access-date=2006-10-10
|title=Distance Results for MESSIER 109 |work=NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database |url=http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/nDistance?name=MESSIER+109 |access-date=2023-04-03
| date=2002|title=Dark and luminous matter in the NGC 3992 group of galaxies | author2=Verheijen| doi=10.1051/0004-6361:20020539| journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics | volume=388| issue=3| pages=793| arxiv=astro-ph/0204335 |bibcode = 2002A&A...388..793B | s2cid=119374710
| author=R. B. Tully| date=1988| title=Nearby Galaxies Catalog | publisher=Cambridge University Press| isbn=978-0-521-35299-4
| author=P. Fouque| author2=E. Gourgoulhon| author3=P. Chamaraux| author4=G. Paturel| date=1992 | title=Groups of galaxies within 80 Mpc. II - The catalogue of groups and group members | journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement| volume=93 | pages=211–233 | bibcode=1992A&AS...93..211F
| author=A. Garcia| date=1993 | title=General study of group membership. II - Determination of nearby groups | journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement| volume=100| pages=47–90 | bibcode=1993A&AS..100...47G
| author=G. Giuricin | author2=C. Marinoni | author3= L. Ceriani | author4= A. Pisani | date=2000 | title=Nearby Optical Galaxies: Selection of the Sample and Identification of Groups | journal=Astrophysical Journal| volume=543| issue=1| pages=178–194 | bibcode=2000ApJ...543..178G| doi=10.1086/317070| arxiv = astro-ph/0001140 | s2cid=9618325
References
- "Messier 109".
- "SN{{nbsp}}1956A". [[International_Astronomical_Union.
- (1964). "Supernova 1956a of type I in NGC 3992". The Astronomical Journal.
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