Saturday, Jun 14, 2025

The group of galaxies NGC 5566, NGC 5569, and NGC 5560 is located in the constellation Virgo, approximately 65 million light-years from Earth. These three galaxies are part of a small gravitationally bound system known as the NGC 5566 group. NGC 5566 is a barred spiral galaxy (type SBab) with a diameter of about 150,000 light-years. It dominates the group in both size and brightness. Gravitational interaction with its smaller neighbors influences its spiral structure and may be linked to episodes of star formation. NGC 5560, an elongated spiral galaxy, shows signs of distortion likely caused by gravitational interactions with NGC 5566. NGC 5569, smaller and less defined, is an intermediate spiral galaxy also involved in the group's dynamic interaction. These galaxies are in the process of interacting, and their morphological features show evidence of tidal forces and possible transfer of interstellar gas. The group is a good example of galactic evolution in a small group environment.