NGC 1142
interacting galaxy in the constellation Cetus
NGC 1142 (also known as NGC 1144) is a distorted spiral galaxy in the constellation of Cetus. It is located about 370 million light years away from Earth, NGC 1142 is approximately 420,000 light years across. It is a type 2 Seyfert galaxy. It interacts with the elliptical galaxy NGC 1141.
It was discovered by Albert Marth on October 5, 1864, who noted a location 40 arcminutes north of the real location, and it was discovered independently on November 17, 1876, by Édouard Stephan.
Characteristics
NGC 1142 is a spiral galaxy which interacts with the elliptical galaxy NGC 1141. The linear separation of the two galaxies is 40 arcseconds, which corresponds to about 20 kiloparsecs at the distance of NGC 1142. The closest encounter took place 22 million years before the observed moment and created a density wave across NGC 1142, which resulted in the formation of knots of gas and stars, and led to the distortion of the spiral galaxy, creating a knotty loop or ring that extends towards NGC 1141 and an off-centre nucleus. A stellar bridge connects the two galaxies.
The total infrared luminosity of the galaxy is 2.2×1011 L☉, and thus it is categorised as a luminous infrared galaxy.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “NGC 1142” is interacting galaxy in the constellation Cetus. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through interacting, galaxy and constellation, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “interacting galaxy in the constellation Cetus” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1147219. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1142, 1144, 1141 and 1864.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “NGC 1142”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow NGC 1142 primary sources, NGC 1142 archive and interacting research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “NGC 1142”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “NGC 1142” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.