astronomy

NGC 4559

NGC 4559 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 4559 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 4559 (also known as Caldwell 36) is an intermediate spiral galaxy with a weak inner ring structure in the constellation Coma Berenices. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is 1,096±20 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 52.7 ± 3.8 Mly (16.17 ± 1.17 Mpc).

Key takeaways

NGC 4559 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 4559 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 4559 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 4559 (also known as Caldwell 36) is an intermediate spiral galaxy with a weak inner ring structure in the constellation Coma Berenices. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is 1,096±20 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 52.7 ± 3.8 Mly (16.17 ± 1.17 Mpc). However, 26 non-redshift measurements give a much closer distance of 24.56 ± 1.58 Mly (7.530 ± 0.483 Mpc). It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 11 April 1785. NGC 4559 is a member of the Coma I Group.

Supernova One supernova has been recorded in NGC 4559: SN 1941A (Type II-L, mag. 13.2) was discovered by Rebecca Jones on 24 February 1941, and after checking previous photographs of the galaxy, it was determined that the supernova was visible starting 5 February 1941.

Luminous Blue Variable NGC 4559 is home to the luminous blue variable AT 2016blu (also known as PSN J12355230+2755559, or as NGC 4559OT). It was discovered by the Lick Observatory Supernova Search (LOSS) on 11 January 2012. It experiences repeated supernova-like outbursts: first when discovered, then again in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

See also Messier 99 – a similar spiral galaxy List of NGC objects (4001–5000)

Gallery

References

External links Media related to NGC 4559 at Wikimedia Commons NGC 4559 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 4559

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 4559 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 4559 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 4559 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 4559

In research: NGC 4559 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 4559 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 4559 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1785, Caldwell objects, Coma Berenices, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 4559 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 4559 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 4559 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 4559 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 4559 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 4559 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 4559?

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 4559.