Seyfert's Sextet

Seyfert's Sextet
A Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image of Seyfert's Sextet. All galaxies (left to right): NGC 6027e, NGC 6027, NGC 6027d (below NGC 6027), NGC 6027c (bottommost galaxy), NGC 6027a (Lenticular galaxy with a dust lane above NGC 6027c), NGC 6027b (above NGC 6027a).
Credit: HST/NASA/ESA.
Observation data (Epoch J2000)
Constellation(s)Serpens
Right ascension15h 59m 11.9s
Declination+20° 45′ 31″
Brightest memberNGC 6027
Number of galaxies6
Other designations
Serpens Sextet, HCG 79, UGC 10116,
VV 115, VII Zw 631

Seyfert's Sextet is a group of galaxies about 190 million light-years away in the constellation Serpens. The group appears to contain six members, but one of the galaxies, NGC 6027d, is a background object (700 million light years behind the group) and another "galaxy," NGC 6027e, is actually a part of the tail from galaxy NGC 6027. The gravitational interaction among these galaxies should continue for hundreds of millions of years. Ultimately, the galaxies will merge to form a single giant elliptical galaxy.

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