astronomy

NGC 1042

NGC 1042 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 NGC 1042 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 1042 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Cetus. It was discovered on 10 November 1885 by American astronomer Lewis Swift.

Key takeaways

NGC 1042 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect NGC 1042 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 1042 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 1042 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Cetus. It was discovered on 10 November 1885 by American astronomer Lewis Swift. The galaxy has an apparent magnitude of 14.0. NGC 1042 is a low-luminosity active galaxy. Furthermore, its luminosity class is III–IV and it has a broad HI line. It is known that NGC 1042 also hosts an intermediate-mass black hole in its center. NGC 1042 contains an ultraluminous X-ray source called NGC 1042 ULX1.

Morphology NGC 1042 is a late-type galaxy, classified as type SAB(rs)cd. 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. 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, while others classified it an unbarred spiral galaxy. Further evidence by them suggests, the inner arms of NGC 1042 are curved with a bar-like structure that is mistaken as a bar.

Nearby galaxies NGC 1042 appears near the spiral galaxy NGC 1035 in the sky, with both having similar redshifts. The two objects may therefore be physically associated with each other. In additional, NGC 1042 is also a member of the NGC 1052 group. 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.

See also List of NGC objects (1001–2000)

References

External links Media related to NGC 1042 at Wikimedia Commons Picture of NGC 1042

NGC 1042 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 1042

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 1042 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 NGC 1042 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 NGC 1042 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 NGC 1042

In research: NGC 1042 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 NGC 1042 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: NGC 1042 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1885, Cetus (constellation), Discoveries by Lewis Swift, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 1042 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 NGC 1042 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 1042 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 NGC 1042 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 1042 in simple terms?

NGC 1042 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Cetus. It was discovered on 10 November 1885 by American astronomer Lewis Swift.

Why does NGC 1042 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 NGC 1042?

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 NGC 1042.