A 10th-magnitude spiral galaxy (type SA(rs)b)
in Lynx NGC 2683's recessional velocity of 410 km/sec is too
small to yield a reliable estimate of distance, as its peculiar
velocity could be a significant part of its overall motion.
Ignoring that caveat, its redshift implies a distance of 18
million light years, in reasonable agreement with redshift-independent
distance estimates of 18 to 45 million light years. Given its
9.3 by 2.1 arcmin apparent size, the galaxy is about 50 thousand
light years across if at the closer distance, and over 100
thousand light years across if the more distant estimate is
closer to being correct. (The galaxy's impressive appearance and
well-organized structure suggests that the larger size and
distance are more likely, but appearances are often misleading.)
A study of irregularities in the velocity distribution of stars
in the central region suggests that like our own galaxy, NGC
2683 has a barred structure; but because of the galaxy's nearly
edge-on presentation, it is impossible to tell that from images.
NGC 2683 has a relatively bright core (the reason it is
classified as a Seyfert (type Sy2) galaxy), extensive dust
clouds outlined by the light of stars scattered throughout its
disk, and numerous clusters of hot young blue stars scattered
along the spiral arms which are mostly shrouded by the clouds of
gas and dust lying in the plane of its galactic equator.
