{{Short description|Galaxy with unusual molecular clouds}} {{Infobox galaxy|constellation name=[[Centaurus]]|name=NGC 5064|ra=13h 20m 31s|dec=-48° 02’ 33”|absmag_b=12.81|mag_j=9.09|mag_h=8.38|mag_k=8.01|type=Spiral|epoch=J2000|absmag_v=11.61|image=NGC 5064 DSS.jpg|caption=Image of NGC 5064 created using the Aladin Sky Atlas software|dist_ly=148 million ly|notes=Large retrograde orbiting clouds of gas|names=GC 3480, h 348}}

'''NGC 5064''' is a [[spiral galaxy]] located 45.5 mpc from [[Earth]] in the [[constellation]] of [[Centaurus]]. It is situated south of the [[celestial equator]] making it visible primarily in the [[Southern Hemisphere|southern hemisphere]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NGC 5064 - Spiral Galaxy in Centaurus {{!}} TheSkyLive |url=https://theskylive.com/sky/deepsky/ngc5064-object |access-date=2025-08-02 |website=theskylive.com}}</ref> The most notable features of NGC 5064 are its giant [[molecular cloud]]s (GMCs) which exhibit a [[Retrograde and prograde motion|retrograde orbit]] around the galaxy. They gained their retrograde orbit through cloud-cloud collisions.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Lijie |last2=Shu |first2=Fanglin |last3=Bureau. |first3=Martin |last4=Onishi |first4=Kyoko |last5=Davis |first5=Timothy A |last6=Liang |first6=Fu-Heng |last7=Choi |first7=Woorak |last8=Williams |first8=Thomas G |last9=Lu |first9=Anan |last10=Iguchi |first10=Satoru |date=2025-08-21 |title=WISDOM Project – XXIV. Giant molecular clouds of the spiral galaxy NGC 5064: high fraction of retrograde rotation |journal=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |volume=541 |issue=4 |pages=3081–3100 |doi=10.1093/mnras/staf1159 |doi-access=free |issn=0035-8711}}</ref>

== Molecular clouds == The [[molecular cloud]]s that are found within NGC 5064 are similar to those found in the [[Milky Way|Milky Way galaxy]] and other [[Local Group|local group]] galaxies in terms of size (17-127 parsecs) mass (2.5x10^5- 3.2x10^7 solar masses) and velocity 1.2-17.9&nbsp;km per second). Theses molecular clouds are [[Giant molecular cloud|giant]] compared to the galaxy taking up a significant fraction of its mass. What makes them more unusual is their [[Retrograde and prograde motion|retrograde orbit]]. They have strong gravitational force making them strongly bound which is supported by magnetic fields.<ref name=":0" />

== References == {{reflist}} {{ngc60}}{{centaurus}} [[Category:NGC objects|5064]] [[Category:Spiral galaxies]] [[Category:Centaurus]]

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