The
morphological classification of this galaxy is E2,[5] indicating an
elliptical galaxy with a 5:4 ratio between the major and minor axes. The
stellar population of the galaxy is old, showing no indications of recent mergers or interactions with other members of its group. Large-scale
isophotes of the galaxy are generally boxy in form, with no markers that would suggest a disruptive interaction within the last billion years. There is a
dust lane along the north–south axis of the galaxy and a disk of dust around the
nucleus.
Two prominent
jets emanating from the nucleus can be observed in the radio band. It has an
active galactic nucleus with a
supermassive black hole at the core with a mass of (4.9±1.0)×108M☉.[11][12] The galaxy is estimated to be about 60 thousand light-years across,[13] and a jet emanating from it is estimated to span about 88 thousand light-years.[14]
A
Type Ia supernova[5] event in this galaxy was reported on January 1, 2001. It was designated SN 2001A, marking the first supernova discovery of the year. The position of the event was 3.1
″ west and 10.7″ north of the galactic nucleus. It reached magnitude 18.4 on December 15 of the previous year.[15]