The Virgo III Groups

The Virgo III Groups form a very obvious line of galaxy groups on the left side of the Virgo cluster. The gravitational pull of the Virgo cluster has stretched this collection of groups into a long chain of galaxies which extends across 40 million light years of space.

The Virgo III Groups

Below - three galaxies in the Virgo III groups. NGC 5248 (left) is a spiral galaxy and one of the brightest galaxies in this region. NGC 5363 (centre) is a lenticular galaxy with a faint lane of dust passing through the middle of it. NGC 5364 (right) is a spiral galaxy with very long spiral arms.

NGC 5248 NGC 5363 NGC 5364
NGC 5248 NGC 5363 NGC 5364

The Galaxies of the Virgo III Groups

This is a list of the main Virgo III Groups. The largest group here is the NGC 5746 group which lies next to the NGC 5638 Group and both groups could be considered to be one large group with twenty major galaxies.

  1             2        3      4     5      6    7     8
Name           Equatorial      Blue  Type  Size Size   RV
               Coordinates     Mag          (')  kly  km/s
               RA       Dec
 NGC 5248 Group   Distance = 65 million ly
UGC 8575     13 35.8  +08 58   15.2  Irr    2.6   50  1448
UGC 8614     13 37.4  +07 39   13.2  Irr    3.5   65  1339
NGC 5248     13 37.5  +08 53   11.0  SBbc   5.6  105  1437
                                                
 NGC 5364 Group   Distance = 70 million ly
NGC 5300     13 48.3  +03 57   12.7  SBc    3.5   70  1452
NGC 5348     13 54.2  +05 14   14.1  SBbc   3.5   70  1723
NGC 5356     13 55.0  +05 20   13.3  SBbc   2.9   60  1647
NGC 5360     13 55.6  +04 59   14.9  Sa     1.3   25  1444
NGC 5363     13 56.1  +05 15   11.0  S0     4.9  100  1407
NGC 5364     13 56.2  +05 01   11.4  Sbc    6.0  125  1511

 NGC 5506 Group   Distance = 85 million ly
IC 976       14 08.7  -01 10   14.3  S0     1.5   40  1794
UGC 9057     14 10.2  -02 35   14.3  SBcd   2.9   70  1840
NGC 5496     14 11.6  -01 09   13.7  SBcd   4.4  110  1801
NGC 5506     14 13.2  -03 12   12.9  Sa     2.6   65  2075
NGC 5507     14 13.3  -03 09   13.5  S0     1.6   40  2247

 NGC 5566 Group   Distance = 80 million ly
NGC 5560     14 20.1  +04 00   13.2  SBb    3.5   85  1975
NGC 5566     14 20.3  +03 56   11.4  SBab   6.6  155  1753
NGC 5569     14 20.5  +03 59   15.4  SBc    1.4   35  2019
NGC 5574     14 20.9  +03 14   13.5  E      1.4   35  1902
NGC 5576     14 21.1  +03 16   12.0  E      2.9   65  1732
NGC 5577     14 21.2  +03 26   13.7  Sbc    3.1   70  1733
UGC 9215     14 23.5  +01 44   13.5  SBc    2.2   50  1634

 NGC 5638 Group   Distance = 85 million ly
NGC 5636     14 29.7  +03 16   14.5  SBa    1.4   35  1913
NGC 5638     14 29.7  +03 14   12.4  E      2.1   55  1904
UGC 9310     14 30.0  +03 13   15.0  Sd     2.0   50  2086
IC 1024      14 31.5  +03 00   14.6  S0     1.3   30  1689
NGC 5668     14 33.4  +04 27   12.5  Scd    2.8   70  1815
UGC 9380     14 34.6  +04 16   15.0  Irr    1.9   45  1923

 NGC 5746 Group   Distance = 85 million ly
UGC 9299     14 29.6  -00 01   14.6  SBcd   1.8   45  1782
NGC 5658     14 32.5  +00 18   15.2  S0     1.4   35  1908
NGC 5690     14 37.7  +02 17   12.7  Sc     3.3   80  1981
NGC 5691     14 37.9  -00 24   13.1  SBa    1.9   45  2101
NGC 5692     14 38.3  +03 25   13.1  S?     0.9   20  1808
NGC 5705     14 39.8  -00 43   14.4  SBcd   2.1   55  1989
NGC 5713     14 40.2  -00 17   12.1  SBbc   2.8   70  2114
NGC 5719     14 40.9  -00 19   13.3  SBab   3.1   75  1968
NGC 5725     14 41.0  +02 11   14.7  SBcd   1.0   25  1852
UGC 9469     14 41.7  -10 48   15.8  Irr    1.6   40  2062
UGC 9482     14 42.8  +00 40   16.0  Scd    1.2   30  2025
NGC 5740     14 44.4  +01 41   12.7  SBb    2.6   65  1791
NGC 5746     14 44.9  +01 57   11.4  SBb    6.9  170  1940
NGC 5750     14 46.2  -00 13   12.6  Sa     2.9   70  1905

 NGC 5775 Group   Distance = 75 million ly
IC 1066      14 53.0  +03 18   14.6  Sbc    1.2   25  1785
IC 1067      14 53.1  +03 20   13.3  SBb    2.0   45  1786
NGC 5770     14 53.2  +03 58   13.7  S0     1.3   25  1664
NGC 5774     14 53.7  +03 35   13.2  SBcd   2.8   60  1773
NGC 5775     14 54.0  +03 33   12.4  SBc    3.8   85  1883

 NGC 5846 Group   Distance = 85 million ly
NGC 5813     15 01.2  +01 42   11.6  E      4.2  105  2139
NGC 5831     15 04.1  +01 13   12.5  E      2.2   55  1857
NGC 5846     15 06.5  +01 36   11.1  E      3.8   95  2003
NGC 5846A    15 06.5  +01 36   13.0  E      0.5   10  2344
NGC 5854     15 07.8  +02 34   12.7  S0     2.7   65  1877
NGC 5864     15 09.6  +03 03   12.6  S0     2.5   60  2025
NGC 5869     15 09.8  +00 28   13.0  S0     2.3   60  2295
UGC 9746     15 10.3  +01 56   14.8  Sbc    1.4   35  1928
UGC 9751     15 11.0  +01 26   16.6  Sc     1.1   30  1749
UGC 9760     15 12.0  +01 42   15.8  Scd    2.2   55  2206

 Other major Virgo III galaxies:
NGC 5334     13 52.9  -01 07   12.8  SBc    3.9   90  1661
NGC 5470     14 06.5  +06 02   14.0  Sb     2.6   60  1285
UGC 9169     14 19.8  +09 22   14.3  Sm     4.0   95  1521
NGC 5584     14 22.4  -00 23   12.5  SBc    3.2   75  1888
IC 1014      14 28.3  +13 47   13.9  SBd    2.6   60  1514
NGC 5645     14 30.7  +07 17   13.1  SBcd   2.6   60  1600
NGC 5669     14 32.7  +09 53   13.1  SBc    4.1   95  1600
NGC 5701     14 39.2  +05 22   12.1  S0     3.6   85  1730
UGC 9500     14 45.4  +07 52     ?   Sm     2.8   65  1903
NGC 5792     14 58.4  -01 05   12.5  SBb    6.5  150  2130
NGC 5806     15 00.0  +01 53   12.5  SBb    3.0   70  1559
NGC 5838     15 05.4  +02 06   12.0  E      3.8   90  1544
NGC 5921     15 21.9  +05 04   11.8  SBbc   4.4  100  1649
Column 1: The usual name of the galaxy.
Column 2: The Right Ascension for epoch 2000.
Column 3: The Declination for epoch 2000.
Column 4: The blue apparent magnitude of the galaxy.
Column 5: The galaxy type: E=Elliptical, S0=Lenticular, Sa,Sb,Sc,Sd=Spiral,
          SBa,SBb,SBc,SBd=Barred Spiral, Sm,SBm,Irr=Irregular.
Column 6: The angular diameter of the galaxy (arcminutes).
Column 7: The diameter of the galaxy (thousands of light years).
Column 8: The recessional velocity (km/s) of the galaxy relative to
          the cosmic microwave background.

References:
Giuricin G, Marinoni C, Ceriani L, Pisani A, (2000), Nearby optical galaxies:
        selection of the sample and identification of groups. Astrophys J, 543, 178.
Garcia A, (1993), General study of group membership. II. Determination of nearby
        groups. Astron Astrophys Supp, 100, 47.
Fouqué P, Gourgoulhon E, Chamaraux P, Paturel G, (1992), Groups of Galaxies within
        80 Mpc, Astron and Astrophys Supp, 93, 211.
Tully R, (1982), The Local Supercluster, Astrophys J, 257, 389.
The HyperLeda Database, (2003).

Below - three galaxies in the Virgo III groups. NGC 5566 (left) is a barred spiral galaxy with a central ring of stars and long, open spiral arms. NGC 5577 (centre) is a much more normal spiral galaxy. NGC 5638 (right) is a large elliptical galaxy. Above it is NGC 5636 - a spiral galaxy consisting of a central bar surrounded by a ring of stars.

NGC 5566 NGC 5577 NGC 5638
NGC 5566 NGC 5577 NGC 5638

Below - three more galaxies in the Virgo III groups. NGC 5740 (left) is a normal spiral galaxy in the NGC 5746 group. NGC 5746 (centre) is the brightest galaxy in this group and probably the largest galaxy among all of the Virgo III groups. NGC 5846 (right) is a large elliptical galaxy. Below it, in the same field of view, is a much smaller elliptical galaxy - NGC5846A.

NGC 5740 NGC 5746 NGC 5846
NGC 5740 NGC 5746 NGC 5846

Properties of the Virgo III groups
Equatorial Coordinates RA=13h30m to 15h20m Dec=-5° to +10°
Galactic Coordinates l=330° to 360° b=+45° to +70°
Supergalactic Coordinates L=110° to 125° B=+10° to +35°
Distance to the groups 65 to 85 million light years
Number of large galaxies 75
Alternative name for the groups Virgo III Cloud
The Virgo Supercluster Back to the Virgo Supercluster page