IC 3418
| IC 3418 | |
|---|---|
Composite image of visible and near-ultraviolet
|
|
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Right ascension | 12h 29m 43.919s |
| Declination | +11° 24′ 16.87″ |
| Redshift | 0.089598 |
| Helio radial velocity | 25,662 km/s |
| Distance | 55 mly (17 mpc) |
| Group or cluster | Virgo Supercluster |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SBm |
| Apparent size (V) | 1.5 × 1.0′ |
| Other designations | |
| UGC 7630. | |
IC 3418 is a galaxy that is most well noted for its tidal tail, which formed after the galaxy collided with the Virgo Supercluster some 54 million light years from Earth. The galaxy is home to many starburst regions.
The galaxy is thought to be evolving from a dwarf irregular galaxy into a dwarf elliptical galaxy, as the ram pressure of the intracluster medium of the Virgo Cluster through which it is plowing through strips gas from the galaxy, leaving it gas poor, while concentrating the gas in the tidal tail, forming "fireballs" of star formation in its wake.
Within the tail is thought to be the most distant star ever detected, as of 2013, a blue supergiant, SDSS J122952.66+112227.8, illuminating a clump of gas.
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