astronomy

NGC 4096

NGC 4096 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 4096 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 4096 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. The galaxy lies about 35 million light years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 4096 is approximately 80,000 light years across.

Key takeaways

NGC 4096 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 4096 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 4096 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 4096 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. The galaxy lies about 35 million light years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 4096 is approximately 80,000 light years across. It was discovered by William Herschel on March 9, 1788. NGC 4096 is a spiral galaxy visible with an inclination of 76°. Although the presence of a bar has been suggested, it hasn't been proven. The galaxy has multiple well-defined thin arms. NGC 4096 is asymmetric in the north–south axis, with the northern half having stronger CO emissions and asymmetric HI and H-alpha emissions following a lopsided spiral arm. The total stellar mass of the galaxy is estimated to be (6.13±0.1)×109 M☉. The star formation rate of the galaxy is estimated to be between 0.22 and 0.43 M☉ per year. Garcia in 1993 considered the galaxy to be a member of LGG 269 group, along with NGC 4111, NGC 3938, NGC 4051, and NGC 4138. On the other hand, Makarov et al. consider the galaxy to be a member of the Messier 106 Group, along with Messier 106, NGC 4242, NGC 4248, NGC 4288 and NGC 4460. The group is part of the Local Supercluster.

Supernovae Two supernovae have been detected in NGC 4096.

SN 1960H (Type Ia-pec, mag. 14) was discovered by Milton Humason on 17 June 1960, and independently by Paul Wild on 20 June 1960. SN 2014bi (Type II-P, mag. 18.2) was discovered by the Lick Observatory Supernova Search (LOSS) on 31 May 2014. It was low-luminosity, and the spectrum indicated it was about two weeks post maximum and significantly reddened.

References

External links

NGC 4096 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 4096

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 4096 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 4096 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 4096 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 4096

In research: NGC 4096 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 4096 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 4096 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1788, Canes II Group, Discoveries by William Herschel, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 4096 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 4096 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 4096 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 4096 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 4096 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 4096 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 4096?

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 4096.