NGC 1042 is a low-luminosity active galaxy.[3][4] Furthermore, its luminosity class is III–IV and it has a broad HI line.[5] It is known that NGC 1042 also hosts an intermediate-mass black hole in its center.[6]
NGC 1042 contains an ultraluminous X-ray source called NGC 1042 ULX1.[7]
Morphology
NGC 1042 is a late-type galaxy, classified as type SAB(rs)cd.[8] It has a bulgeless structure with spiral arms consisting of two symmetric arms located in the inner side with ceaseless long outer arms, with an Arm Class 9 classification.[9] The spiral galaxy type of NGC 1042 is a mystery; some astronomers classified it a barred spiral galaxy based on ellipse fitting via B- and H-band images,[10] while others classified it an unbarred spiral galaxy.[11][12] Further evidence by them suggests, the inner arms of NGC 1042 are curved with a bar-like structure that is mistaken as a bar.[13][4]
Nearby galaxies
NGC 1042 appears near the spiral galaxyNGC 1035 in the sky, with both having similar redshifts. The two objects may therefore be physically associated with each other.[14] In additional, NGC 1042 is also a member of the NGC 1052 group.[15] It is shown to be the only galaxy with a large gas reservoir, indicating it was stripped of gas during a past interaction with NGC 1052.[16]
