astronomy

NGC 47

NGC 47 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 47 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 47 (also known as NGC 58, MCG -1-1-55, IRAS00119-0726 and PGC 967) is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Cetus, discovered in 1886 by Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel. Its alternate name NGC 58 is due to the observation by Lewis Swift, who was unaware that Tempel had already discovered the celestial object earlier.

Key takeaways

NGC 47 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 47 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 47 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 47 (also known as NGC 58, MCG -1-1-55, IRAS00119-0726 and PGC 967) is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Cetus, discovered in 1886 by Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel. Its alternate name NGC 58 is due to the observation by Lewis Swift, who was unaware that Tempel had already discovered the celestial object earlier. It appears as a small, faint spiral nebula with a bright core and is slightly oval. It is approximately 236 Mly (236 million light years) from Earth, measured by way of a generic "redshift estimate".

References

External links Media related to NGC 47 at Wikimedia Commons SEDS: Spiral Galaxy NGC 47

NGC 47 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 47

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 47 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 47 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 47 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 47

In research: NGC 47 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 47 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 47 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1886, Barred spiral galaxies, Cetus (constellation), so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 47 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 47 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 47 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 47 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 47 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 47 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 47?

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 47.