NGC 4298 is a flocculent spiral galaxy located about 53 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on April 8, 1784 and is a member of the Virgo Cluster.
NGC 4298 may harbor an intermediate-mass black hole with an estimated mass ranging from 20,000 ( M☉) to 500,000 ( M☉) solar masses.
Interaction with NGC 4302
NGC 4298 appears to form a pair with and appears to interact with NGC 4302. Evidence for an interaction between the two galaxies are that NGC 4298 exhibits a lopsided, asymmetrical distribution of stars, a tidal bridge that connects it to NGC 4302, a prodigious rate of star formation and an HI-tail. However, the tail is also the result of ram pressure.
The two galaxies are separated from a projected distance of ~.
Ram-pressure stripping
The presence of a truncated gas disc, an asymmetric 6 cm polarized radio continuum distribution, an HI-tail, and asymmetries of gas in a similar direction as the ram pressure stripped gas in NGC 4302 suggest that NGC 4298 is under going ram pressure.
See also
List of NGC objects (4001–5000)