Markarian 231
| Markarian 231 | |
|---|---|
Hubble Space Telescope image of Markarian 231 | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Right ascension | 12h 56m 14.23410s |
| Declination | +56° 52′ 25.2386″ |
| Redshift | 0.04147 |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 12173 km/s |
| Distance | 581 Mly, 178 Mpc |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 13.84 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | Sc/quasar |
| Other designations | |
| UGC 8058, Mrk 231, Mkn 231, Markarian 231, MCG+10-19-004, ZW VII 490, PGC 44117 | |
Markarian 231 (UGC 8058) is a Type-1 Seyfert galaxy that was discovered in 1969 as part of a search for galaxies with strong ultraviolet radiation. It is named after the Armenian astronomer Benjamin Markarian, who played an active role in identifying and cataloging a number of active galaxies during the 1960s. Markarian 231 contains the nearest known quasar and is located about 581 million light years away from Earth, in the constellation of Ursa Major.