NGC 6622 | |
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![]() Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 6622 (left) and NGC 6621 (center) | |
Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
Constellation | Draco |
Right ascension | 18h 12m 59.50s[1] |
Declination | +68° 21′ 19.0″[1] |
Redshift | 0.02157±0.00013[1] |
Distance | 313 Mly (96.0 Mpc)[1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 15.0[1] |
Characteristics | |
Type | G'Sb[1] |
Size | 219,000 ly |
Apparent size (V) | .955 x .832[1] |
Notable features | N/A |
Other designations | |
KCPG 534A,[1] PGC 61579,[1] KPG 534b,[1] LEDA 61579,[1] UGC 11175 S,[1] UZC J181259.8+682114[1] |
NGC 6622 is an interacting spiral galaxy in the constellation Draco.[1] It is located around 313 million light-years away, and it was discovered by Edward D. Swift and Lewis A. Swift on June 2, 1885.[1][2] NGC 6622 interacts with NGC 6621, with their closest approach having taken place about 100 million years before the moment seen now.[3] NGC 6622 and NGC 6621 are included in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as Arp 81 in the category "spiral galaxies with large high surface brightness companions".[4][5]
NGC 6622 is the smaller of the two, and is a very disturbed galaxy.[5][1] The encounter has left NGC 6622 very deformed, as it was once a spiral galaxy.[6][1] The collision has also triggered extensive star formation between the two galaxies.[7] The most intense star formation takes place in the region between the two nuclei, where a large population of luminous clusters, also known as super star clusters, has been observed. At this region is observed the most tidal stress.[6][2] The brightest and bluest clusters are less than 100 million years old,[2] with the youngest being less than 10 million years old.[4] The side of the galaxy further from the companion features noticeably less star formation activity.[3][1][7]