astronomy

NGC 4848

NGC 4848 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 4848 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 4848 is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices. It is about 340 million light-years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 4848 is about 170,000 light years across.

Key takeaways

NGC 4848 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 4848 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 4848 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 4848 is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices. It is about 340 million light-years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 4848 is about 170,000 light years across. It was discovered by Heinrich d'Arrest on April 21, 1865. It is considered part of the Coma Cluster, which is in its northwest part. The galaxy has been stripped of its gas as it passed through the cluster.

Characteristics NGC 4848 is a spiral galaxy viewed nearly edge-on that is classified as SBab by de Vaucouleurs. Its nucleus is active, and it has been categorised as an HII region. A number of bright HII regions form a ring around the nucleus with a radius of 5–10 arcseconds. The star formation rate is estimated to be 9 M☉ per year based on the H-alpha, ultraviolet, infrared and radio luminosity. The galaxy distribution of hydrogen gas is asymmetrical and forms a tail pointing away from the cluster center. The tail has projected dimensions of 62.5 by 18.5 kpc and an estimated hydrogen mass of 4×109 M☉. The tail was probably formed as a result of ram pressure as the galaxy passed through the Coma Cluster and its intergalactic medium at a speed of about 1,330 km/s, starting 200 million years ago according to Fossati et al., while a previous study indicated a timeline of 400 million years. The lost hydrogen is estimated to comprise two thirds of the original hydrogen content of the galaxy. A few star-forming regions, probably HII regions, are in the tail. A dwarf galaxy may cross the disk of NGC 4848; however, its mass is too low to be a source of the hydrogen tail.

See also NGC 4921, a spiral galaxy in the Coma Cluster that has lost its hydrogen

References

External links Media related to NGC 4848 at Wikimedia Commons NGC 4848 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 4848

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 4848 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 4848 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 4848 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 4848

In research: NGC 4848 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 4848 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 4848 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1865, Barred spiral galaxies, Coma Berenices, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 4848 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 4848 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 4848 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 4848 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 4848 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 4848 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 4848?

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 4848.