NGC 5930
The galaxy NGC 5930, a barred spiral galaxy of type SBb/pec, was discovered in March 1787 by the astronomer William Herschel. It is located
in the constellation Boötes and is about 120 million light-years away from Earth. Its apparent magnitude is 12.2 mag with an apparent size of
1.8x0.9 arcminutes.
The appearance of NGC 5930 is strongly influenced by its interaction with its smaller neighboring galaxy (NGC 5929). Together, the two form
a galaxy pair known as "Arp 90". The interaction has led to the disturbed morphology of NGC 5930, which is therefore classified as “peculiar.”
The interaction between the two galaxies triggers an increased star formation rate in NGC 5930, which is why it is also referred to as a starburst
galaxy.
At the center of NGC 5930 is an active galactic nucleus (AGN), which indicates the presence of a supermassive black hole. However, I could not
find any information about its mass. This black hole accumulates matter, which leads to high radiation emission, distinguishing NGC 5930 as a
radio source and Seyfert galaxy. The strong interaction with NGC 5929 is considered a possible trigger for the activity of the central black hole,
as the disturbance of the galaxy could direct gas and dust toward the center.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In my 20" telescope, I could see a bright and very close pair of galaxies. The two diffuse halos seem to merge with each other when viewed
with averted vision. The central region of the brighter galaxy NGC 5930 appears round, while the outer halo is slightly elongated - perhaps a
sign of the interaction.
The surrounding area is rich in brighter stars, which provide a beautiful contrast.
