astronomy

NGC 4470

NGC 4470 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 4470 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 4470, also known as NGC 4610, is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy lies about 55 million light years away from Earth based on redshift-independent methods, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 4470 is approximately 30,000 light years across.

Key takeaways

NGC 4470 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 4470 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 4470 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 4470, also known as NGC 4610, is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy lies about 55 million light years away from Earth based on redshift-independent methods, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 4470 is approximately 30,000 light years across. However based on redshift the galaxy lies about 120 million light years away. It was discovered by William Herschel on January 23, 1784, however the coordinates were wrong, as according to John Louis Emil Dreyer Herschel mistook Messier 49 for Messier 61. Herschel observed the galaxy again 28 December 1785 and catalogued it at the correct coordinates. The Reference Catalog of galaxy Spectral Energy Distributions places the nucleus of NGC 4470 in the HII region of the narrow-line [O iiI]/Hβ versus [N ii]/Hα diagnostic diagram. The galaxy has been observed by Chandra X-ray Observatory and XMM Newton and was found to emit X-rays in a model consistent with a power law. As observed with other low-luminosity active galactic nuclei, the flux features little variability. The mass of the black hole in the centre of the galaxy is estimated to be between 10,000 and one million M☉ based on different methods, which would position it as an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH). There is another equally bright X-ray source 2.″1 (170 pc) to the south, and a more extended source (~1039 erg/s) located 6″ northeast of the nuclear position and associated with an excess of blue stars and ongoing star formation. The second nuclear source could be a stellar-mass ultraluminous X-ray source or one half of a dual IMBH system. In the center of the galaxy also lies a nuclear star cluster with a mass of 106.42 ± 0.35 (1.1 – 6 millions) M☉. The galaxy lacks a bulge but instead has a small bar. Although no supernova has been observed in NGC 4470, one transient has been found in the galaxy, AT 2017jfs. It was discovered by Gaia on 26 December 2017 at an apparent magnitude of 17.17 ± 0.20. It was originally characterised as a type IIn supernova or a supernova impostor, however its light curve was typical of a luminous red nova. It was probably the result of the merger of a massive binary star. NGC 4470 lies 10 arcminutes south of giant elliptical galaxy Messier 49, a member of the Virgo Cluster, and could be its companion. There are detached star formation regions north of NGC 4470, towards the direction of M49.

References

External links

NGC 4470 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images NGC 4470 on SIMBAD

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 4470

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 4470 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 4470 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 4470 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 4470

In research: NGC 4470 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 4470 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 4470 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1784, Discoveries by William Herschel, MCG objects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 4470 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 4470 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 4470 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 4470 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 4470 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 4470 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 4470?

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 4470.