astronomy

NGC 474

NGC 474 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 474 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 474 is a large lenticular galaxy in the constellation Pisces. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is 2,001±23 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 96.2 ± 6.8 Mly (29.51 ± 2.09 Mpc).

Key takeaways

NGC 474 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 474 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 474 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 474 is a large lenticular galaxy in the constellation Pisces. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is 2,001±23 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 96.2 ± 6.8 Mly (29.51 ± 2.09 Mpc). Additionally, 13 non-redshift measurements give a similar mean distance of 91.50 ± 6.69 Mly (28.054 ± 2.050 Mpc). It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 13 December 1784. NGC 474 is known to possess tidal shells and tidal tails, although their origins remain unclear. One possible explanation is that NGC 474 interacted with a galaxy several billion years ago.

Structure The origins of the spectacular tidal features around NGC 474 have been extensively studied, and some possible explanations have been published. The authors of one study argued that the tidal tails were formed because of a collision with a galaxy 2 billion years ago. The same study also stated that NGC 474 is absorbing gas from its neighbor, NGC 470, since the ancient collision. In another model, the tidal shells can be explained by a gas-rich spiral galaxy colliding with NGC 474 twice, before finally merging. NGC 474 is moving away from the Sun at a rate of 2412 km/s due to dark energy.

Supernova One supernova has been observed in NGC 474: SN 2017fgc (Type Ia, mag. 17.3239) was discovered by the Distance Less Than 40 Mpc Survey (DLT40) on 11 July 2017. It was located at a considerable distance (~18.90±0.01 kpc) from the galactic nucleus.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 474

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 474 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 474 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 474 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 474

In research: NGC 474 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 474 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 474 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1784, Discoveries by William Herschel, Lenticular galaxies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 474 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.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study NGC 474 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 474 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 474 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 474 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 474 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 474?

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 474.