Abstract
Image processing performed on a series of photographs of the superluminal Seyfert galaxy, 3C 120, shows the outer optical disc to consist of fragmented segments generally pointing toward the centre. One long arm of peculiar, separated knots comes off to the W and SW. A peculiar companion is seen along the line of the NW radio jet. In the interior, optical jets are detected which are aligned along the direction of the outer radio jets.
A region of the sky 45 ×; 25 degrees around 3C120 is investigated. It is found that:
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1)
A nebulous filament about 3/4 degree in length points to 3C 120.
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2)
Hydrogen clouds of redshiftz = −130 and −210 km s−1 are situated at 3 and 1 degrees on either side of 3C 120.
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3)
Eleven low-surface-brightness galaxies with 4500 <z < 5300 km s−1 fall within a radius of 8 degrees.
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4)
Seven quasars withz ≳ 1.35 and radio fluxesS b ≳ 0.3 fall within a radius of 10 degrees.
It is concluded that the concentration of these objects in the vicinity of this unique, active galaxy has a negligible chance of being accidental and that all those objects of diverse redshift are at the same nearby distance. This smaller distance reduces the supposed superluminal motions in 3C 120 to quite precedented ejection velocities.
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Arp, H. 3C 120 and the surrounding region of sky. J Astrophys Astron 8, 231–239 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02715045
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02715045