De Vaucouleurs Atlas Type: SB(r)b

Filter: B

Telescope: Pal 1.5-m
North up , East left
Field Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.8 arcminutes

RC3 Type: SB(r)b
RSA Type: SBb(sr)I-II
Surface Brightness Range Displayed: 18.5-26.0 mag per square arcsec
Absolute Blue Magnitude: -20.9
Elmegreen Spiral Arm Class: AC 8

De Vaucouleurs Atlas Description:

This galaxy, a member of the NGC 5846 galaxy group, has a very well-defined bar and inner ring . The nearly face-on orientation indicates that the inner ring is intrinsically elongated along the bar axis. The two main outer arms show a partial outer ring morphology, but a third arm, like a lone ``plume" (see discussion of NGC 1433 ), complicates the morphology. The bar is striking for its lack of leading dust lanes , but weak lanes are seen around the center. In this region, there is a small nuclear ring crossed by a strong secondary bar whose major axis is aligned nearly perpendicular to the primary bar .

The B-V color index map shows that the inner ring is dominated by recent star formation, while the apparent nuclear ring is unusually quiescent. Except for two weak arcs of dust, there is no color contrast in this area of NGC 5850 .

Higdon, Buta, and Purcell (1998) obtained an HI map of NGC 5850 , showing how neutral gas is concentrated in the inner ring and in the asymmetric outer arm pattern. The asymmetry led Higdon et al. to propose that NGC 5850 has possibly experienced a high speed collision with nearby NGC 5846 . Aguerri et al. (2001) attempt to reproduce the ring and inner structure using hydrodynamic modeling.