NGC 4941 is an intermediate spiral galaxy located in the constellation Virgo, approximately 67 million light-years from Earth. The galaxy spans about 76,000 light-years, with an apparent size of 3.9 by 2.7 arcminutes.
NGC 4941 features a soft central bar and tightly wrapped spiral arms that emerge from a luminous elliptical bulge. These arms blend into a faint, extended disk dotted with subtle dust lanes and signs of star formation. Its structure is calm and symmetric at first glance, but the galaxy hosts a highly energetic core.
Classified as a Seyfert 2 galaxy, NGC 4941 contains an active galactic nucleus (AGN) — a supermassive black hole at its center that is actively accreting matter and driving energetic outflows. These nuclear processes, though visually quiet in optical light, have been traced through spectroscopic studies showing blueshifted and redshifted gas in its inner regions.
NGC 4941 belongs to the NGC 4697 Group, part of the Virgo II cloud of galaxies — an extended structure beyond the main Virgo Cluster.
Placing it within a dynamic environment where gravitational interactions and group dynamics can influence a galaxy’s evolution. The faint halo and surrounding background galaxies visible in the image hint at the richness of its cosmic neighborhood.
Imaged in LRGB on my Planewave CDK 1000 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image acquisition and processing: Mike Selby