astronomy

NGC 4061

NGC 4061 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 4061 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 4061 is an elliptical galaxy located 310 light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on April 27, 1785.

Key takeaways

NGC 4061 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 4061 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 4061 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 4061 is an elliptical galaxy located 310 light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on April 27, 1785. It was rediscovered by John Herschel on April 29, 1832. It is listed both as NGC 4061 and NGC 4055. NGC 4061 is a member of the NGC 4065 Group and forms an interacting pair with its companion, NGC 4065 as evidenced by distortions in their optical isophotes. NGC 4061 is classified as a radio galaxy with a Fanaroff and Riley classification of type I.

Radio Jets NGC 4061 has two radio jets that appear to be very straight and that dramatically oppose each other. At a distance of 26,000 ly (8 kpc) from the core the jets appear to suddenly sweep back. This sudden bending of the jets suggest that they are leaving the interstellar medium (ISM) of NGC 4061 and entering into the intracluster medium (ICM). After the sharp bending, the jets continue to open for about 82,000 ly (25 kpc) and extend into a "U" or horseshoe morphology similar to NGC 1265, with each jet having a length of 160,000 ly (50 kpc). This morphology is thought to be due to the motion of NGC 4061 through the ICM with sufficient velocity to bend the jets by ram-pressure stripping. The interaction with NGC 4065 may have also contributed to bending the jets.

Dust Disk NGC 4061 has a dust disk with a diameter of 7,420 ly (2.275 kpc).[1]

Supermassive black hole NGC 4061 has a supermassive black hole with a mass in the range of 1-9 billion M☉.

SN 2008bf On February 18, 2008 a Type Ia supernova designated as SN 2008bf was discovered near NGC 4061. However, the host galaxy may instead be the nearby NGC 4065.

See also List of NGC objects (4001–5000) NGC 1272

Notes 1.^This was determined by multiplying the given scale length in the paper of 0.55 arcseconds=820 ly (250 pc) by 9.1 to get the diameter of the dust disk.

References

External links

NGC 4061 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 4061

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 4061 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 4061 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 4061 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 4061

In research: NGC 4061 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 4061 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 4061 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1785, Coma Berenices, Discoveries by William Herschel, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 4061 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 4061 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 4061 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 4061 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 4061 in simple terms?

NGC 4061 is an elliptical galaxy located 310 light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on April 27, 1785.

Why does NGC 4061 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 4061?

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 4061.