astronomy

NGC 4487

NGC 4487 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 4487 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 4487 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy lies about 55 million light years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 4487 is approximately 65,000 light years across.

Key takeaways

NGC 4487 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 4487 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 4487 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 4487 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy lies about 55 million light years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 4487 is approximately 65,000 light years across. It was discovered by William Herschel on March 23, 1789.

Characteristics NGC 4487 has an elliptical bulge with a small bar. The nucleus is offset from the centre. The galaxy has faint diffuse spiral arms. Two spiral arms can be discerned with a grand design pattern. Dust lanes are visible along the inner regions of the arms. One arm branches into several broad segments. Many HII regions are visible in the disk, the largest of which are more than 3 arcseconds across. Based on its X-ray emission the nucleus of the galaxy appears to be active. In the centre of the galaxy lies a supermassive black hole, whose mass is estimated to be 106.46 ± 0.63 (0.6 - 12 million) M☉, based on the pitch angle of the spiral arms. The stars of the galaxy appear to be of intermediate-young age and have very low metallicity. The star formation rate is estimated to be 0.4 M☉ per year.

Supernova One supernova has been observed in NGC 4487, SN 2009N. It was discovered on 24 January 2009 by Koichi Itagaki at an apparent magnitude of 16.6, located 75" east and 18" north of the center of NGC 4487. It was identified as a type II supernova. More detailed spectral observations categorised it as a type II-P, created by the collapse of red supergiant or a yellow supergiant.

Nearby galaxies NGC 4487 forms a pair with NGC 4504, which lies 35 arcminutes away. NGC 4487 is a member of the Messier 104 Group, which also includes the Sombrero Galaxy (M104), NGC 4504, UGCA 287, and UGCA 289. A. M. Garcia considers the galaxy part of the LGG 293 Group, in which are included the galaxies NGC 4487, NGC 4504, and NGC 4597. It is part of a Virgo II Groups, a chain of groups extending from the Virgo Cluster.

Gallery

References

External links

NGC 4487 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images NGC 4487 on SIMBAD

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 4487

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 4487 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 4487 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 4487 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 4487

In research: NGC 4487 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 4487 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 4487 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1789, Discoveries by William Herschel, Intermediate spiral galaxies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 4487 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 4487 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 4487 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 4487 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 4487 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 4487 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 4487?

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 4487.