NGC 4647 is an intermediate spiral galaxy estimated to be around 63 million light-years away[2] in the constellation of Virgo.

[3] NGC 4647 is listed along with Messier 60 as being part of a pair of galaxies called Arp 116;[4][5] their designation in Halton Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.

Recent studies of Hubble images made in 2012 of the two galaxies indicate that tidal interactions between the two have just begun.

The galaxy's location in the Virgo Cluster suggests that it might have suffered an effect known as ram-pressure stripping caused by the intracluster medium.

The difficulty is that the galaxies would have to be so close that tidal forces from Messier 60 would cause the disk of NGC 4647 to get ripped apart.