NGC 1316 (also known as Fornax A, Arp 154, Dun 548, MCG -6-8-8, IRAS 03208-3723 and PGC 12651) is a magnitude +9.4 lenticular galaxy located 62.0 ±2.9 million light-years away at the edge of the Fornax Cluster in the constellation Fornax. NGC 1316 is interacting with the small spiral galaxy NGC 1317 located about 6' north of NGC 1316; and is listed as Arp 154 in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies catalogue by Halton Arp. NGC 1316 is a radio galaxy, and is the fourth-brightest radio source in the sky (as seen at 1400 MHz).
The galaxy has hosted supernova 1980N, SN 1981D, SN 2006dd and SN 2006mr
The galaxy was discovered by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop using a homemade 9-foot, 22.86 cm (9 inch) f/12 speculum Newtonian reflector at Paramatta, New South Wales, Australia, on the 2nd September 1826 and listed as Dun 548.
Right ascension 03h 22m 41.8s, Declination -37° 12' 29.52"
This new image from the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile shows two contrasting galaxies: NGC 1316, and its smaller neighbour NGC 1317. These two are quite close to each other in space, but they have very different histories. The small spiral NGC 1317 has led an uneventful life, but NGC 1316 has engulfed several other galaxies in its violent history and shows the battle scars. Read more