astronomy

Markarian 273

Markarian 273 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Markarian 273 rather than just read about it. In short: Markarian 273 is a galaxy merger located in the constellation Ursa Major. It is located at a distance of about 500 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that Markarian 273 is about 130,000 light years across.

Key takeaways

Markarian 273 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Markarian 273 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Markarian 273 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Markarian 273 is a galaxy merger located in the constellation Ursa Major. It is located at a distance of about 500 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that Markarian 273 is about 130,000 light years across. It is an ultraluminous infrared galaxy and a Seyfert galaxy.

Characteristics Markarian 273 is a galaxy merger, the result of two or more galaxies colliding. When observed in mid infrared, two nuclei are visible, with a projected separation of about 0.75 kiloparsec. The southwest nucleus is known to be active, due its X-ray emission, while the northeast nucleus too displays a heavily absorbed X-ray spectrum, indicating that is also active. The optical emission of the southwest nucleus corresponds to a type II Seyfert galaxy while the north one of a LINER. A third component in the nuclear region is visible at the southeast in the radiowaves and could be a star cluster. The galaxy experiences a starburst, with a star formation rate of 139 M☉ per year. This activity makes the galaxy shine bright in the infrared and it is categorised as ultra-luminous infrared galaxy, with total infrared luminosity of the galaxy is estimated to be 1012.1 L☉. The startburst takes place in a rotating disk with a radius 120 pc and a total mass of 2.6×109 M☉ which surrounds the north nucleus. It has been suggested that this is the location of compact luminous supernovae remnants and radio supernovae. The startburst is fed by large amounts of cold molecular gas. The gas has complex kinematics due to the presence of outflows. A kiloparsec scale outflow is visible towards the north in CO imaging, with the flow rate of 600 M☉ per year. The outflows reach about 5 kpc from the nucleus. There is also evidence of a bipolar superbubble. The merger has a tidal tail extending southwards for 40 kiloparsecs, that is seen edge-on. Also south of the galaxy lies a giant X-ray nebula, measuring 40 by 40 kiloparsecs in size, that isn't closely related with the tidal tail. The gas temperature of the nebula is estimated to be 7 million K, possibly heated by galactic outflows. Filaments and clumps of ionised gas visible in OIII are extending about 23 kpc to the east. A warm gas ionised halo extends about 45 kpc from the nucleus, and is probably tidal debris from the merger. When observed in radiowaves the galaxy has two large plumes, one to the south, extending to about 100 kpc, and one dimmer to the north, extending to about 190 kpc.

See also Arp 220 - the closest ultraluminous infrared galaxy to Earth NGC 6240 - galaxy merger and ultraluminous infrared galaxy

References

External links Markarian 273 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images Markarian 273 on SIMBAD

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Markarian 273

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Markarian 273 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Markarian 273 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Markarian 273 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Markarian 273

In research: Markarian 273 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Markarian 273 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Markarian 273 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Galaxy mergers, Interacting galaxies, Luminous infrared galaxies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Markarian 273 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Markarian 273 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Markarian 273 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Markarian 273 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Markarian 273 in simple terms?

Why does Markarian 273 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Markarian 273?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Markarian 273.