IC 5325
IC 5325 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Phoenix. The galaxy lies about 70 million light years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that IC 5325 is approximately 75,000 light years across. It was discovered by Lewis Swift in 1897.
Characteristics
IC 5325 is characterised as an intermediate [spiral galaxy], with a weak bar. Its bulge is circular in its brightest region but it becomes oval at its fainter parts. At each end of the oval emerges a spiral arm. These two spiral arms are the most prominent. The galaxy has in total four significant arms and its spiral pattern is flocculent. The western arm has the higher surface brightness. The arms appear fragmented and with many blue knots. The galaxy is seen nearly face-on, at an inclination of about 25°.As observed in ultraviolet by GALEX the inner region of the disk is brighter. IC 5325 is brighter in far ultraviolet than near ultraviolet, indicating intense star formation within the last 100 million years. The current star formation rate is estimated to be 0.31–0.41 per year. The galaxy doesn't appear to have significant amounts of cold dust. In the centre of the galaxy lies a supermassive [black hole], whose mass is estimated to be 106.97 ± 0.48 , based on the pitch angle of the spiral arms.