NGC4378 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Virgo. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is , which corresponds to a Hubble distance of . Also, six non-redshift measurements give a similar distance of . It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 2 February 1786. It is a member of the Virgo Cluster, listed as VCC 785.
NGC4378 is a Seyfert II galaxy, i.e. it has a quasar-like nucleus with very high surface brightnesses whose spectra reveal strong, high-ionisation emission lines, but unlike quasars, the host galaxy is clearly detectable.
Supermassive black hole A study based on near-infrared K-band luminosity measurements of the NGC 4378 bulge gives a value of (100 million solar masses) for the supermassive black hole there.
According to the authors of a paper published in 2012, knowledge of the mass of a central black hole and the rate of accretion by it makes it possible to estimate the rate of star formation in the central region of Seyfert-type galaxies. The rate for NGC 4378 would be between 0.059 / year and 0.56 / year, respectively, within and outside a radius of 1 kpc.
See also List of NGC objects (4001–5000)
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