NGC 4698
NGC 4698 imaged with the 32-inch Schulman Telescope at Mount Lemmon Observatory
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation	Virgo
Right ascension	12h 34m 20.310s[1]
Declination	+08° 11′ 51.94″[1]
Heliocentric radial velocity	1,002[2] km/s
Distance	54.8 Mly (16.8 Mpc)[3]
Group or cluster	Virgo Cluster
Apparent magnitude (V)	10.6[4]
Apparent magnitude (B)	11.46[5]
Characteristics
Type	SA(s)ab[3]
Apparent size (V)	4′.0 × 2′.9[4]
Notable features	Seyfert-2 galaxy[6]
Other designations
PGC 43254, UGC 7970, VCC 2070

NGC 4698 is a barred spiral galaxy^[5] located around 55^[3] million light years away from Earth in the constellation of Virgo. It belongs to the Virgo Cluster of galaxies and is positioned near the northeastern edge of this assemblage.^[4] The morphological classification of NGC 4698 in the De Vaucouleurs system is SA(s)ab,^[3] which indicates a purely spiral structure with moderate to tightly wound arms.^[7] It is inclined to the line of sight from the Earth by an angle of 53° along a position angle of 170°.^[8]

A unique feature of this galaxy is that the stars and dust of the nuclear disk are rotating in a direction that is aligned perpendicularly to the galactic disk. The bulge likewise appears elongated out of the galactic plane. This unusual alignment may have been the result of a past merger event.^[5]

NGC 4698 is classified as a Seyfert-2 galaxy with an active galactic nucleus, which displays a prominent emission of radio and X-ray energy from the core while showing narrow emission lines in the optical spectrum.^[6] The unified model of Seyfert galaxies proposes that the nucleus of a Seyfert 2 galaxy is obscured by a thick torus of gas and dust. However, the varying X-ray emission of the core of NGC 4698 shows little indication of being obstructed, suggesting instead that the source of the energy emission is generally unobscured but anemic in nature.^[9]

Gallery

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  NGC 4698 (SDSS DR14)
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  NGC 4698 (HST)
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  NGC 4698 by a Schulman telescope at Mt. Lemmon, AZ.