The morphological class of NGC 4102 is SABab[3] or SAB(s)b?,[10] which is a spiral galaxy with a bar-like feature around the core (SAB), no inner ring structure (s), and moderately tightly-wound spiral arms ('ab' or 'b'). However, the bar in this galaxy is considered particularly small for galaxies of this class.[10] The galactic plane is inclined at an angle of 56°±2° to the line of sight from the Earth.[12] NGC 4102 has a region of intense star formation in the nuclear region, known as a starburst region.[6] This volume is 1,000 ly (310 pc) in diameter containing some 3 billion solar masses.[13] An outflow of hydrogen has been detected, extending outward to the northwest as far as 6.3 kpc (21 kly) from the nucleus.[14]
One supernova has been observed in NGC 4102: SN 1975E (type unknown, mag. 16.7) was discovered by Yvonne Dunlap and Justus R. Dunlap on 7 May 1975.[17][18]
^ abTrent Braun, Timothy; van Zee, Liese; Richards, Emily E.; McQuinn, Kristen B.; Skillman, Evan D.; Edges (January 2015). "Detection of an Extended Outflow in NGC 4102". AAS Meeting #225. 225. American Astronomical Society. Bibcode:2015AAS...22525027T. 250.27.
^ abcMathur, Smita; et al. (October 2008). Finding Local Low-mass Supermassive Black Holes. Observational Evidence for Black Holes in the Universe: Proceedings of the 2nd Kolkata Conference on Observational Evidence for Black Holes in the Universe held in Kolkata India, 10-15 February 2008 and the Satellite Meeting on Black Holes, Neutron Stars, and Gamma-Ray Bursts held 16-17 February 2008. AIP Conference Proceedings. Vol. 1053. pp. 43–49. arXiv:0807.0422. Bibcode:2008AIPC.1053...43M. doi:10.1063/1.3009521.
^Marsden, Brian G. (9 May 1975). "Circular No. 2776 - SUPERNOVA IN NGC 4102". Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, IAU. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
^"SN1975E". Transient Name Server. IAU. Retrieved 3 December 2024.