NGC 4526 - SAB0o sp

NGC 4526

De Vaucouleurs Atlas Type: SAB0o sp

Filter: B

Telescope: OHP 1.2-m
North up , East left
Field Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.5 arcminutes

RC3 Type: SAB(s:)0o
RSA Type: -----
Surface Brightness Range Displayed: 18.0-26.0 mag per square arcsec
Absolute Blue Magnitude: -20.6

De Vaucouleurs Atlas Description:

The presence of a small central dust ring tells us that this galaxy is not exactly edge-on. We suspect a very weak, foreshortened bar crosses the center.

The origin of dusty rings like that in NGC 4526 is discussed by Sage and Galletta (1993) and Tran et al. (2001), who suggest such dust is acquired from the outside and takes time to settle into a regular, ring-shaped disk. Thus, dust rings represent a more advanced stage of a merger process. The captured material may be from a small, gas-rich companion.