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Messier 99 (also kown as NGC 4254 or M99 for short, nicknamed Coma Pinwheel Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy approximatly 60 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781.
The galaxy has a normal looking arm and an extended arm that is less tightly wound. A bridge of neutral hydrogen gas links NGC 4254 with VIRGOHI21. The gravity from the dark galaxy VIRGOHI21 appears to have distorted M99 and drawn out the gas bridge, as the two galaxy-sized objects have a close encounter, before they go their separate ways. It is expected that the drawn out arm will relax to match the normal arm once the encounter is over.
See also
External links
- SEDS: Spiral Galaxy M99
- UniverseToday: Dark Matter Galaxy?
- PPARC: New evidence for a Dark Matter Galaxy
- SIMBAD: M 99 -- HII Galaxy
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