astronomy

NGC 495

NGC 495 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 495 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 495, also occasionally referred to as PGC 5037, UGC 920 or GC 278, is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces. It is located approximately 184 million light-years from the Solar System and was discovered on 12 September 1784 by astronomer William Herschel.

Key takeaways

NGC 495 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 495 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 495 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 495, also occasionally referred to as PGC 5037, UGC 920 or GC 278, is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces. It is located approximately 184 million light-years from the Solar System and was discovered on 12 September 1784 by astronomer William Herschel.

Observation history The object was discovered by Herschel along with NGC 496 and NGC 499. He initially described the discovery as "Three [NGC 495 along with NGC 496 and 499], eS and F, forming a triangle.". As he observed the trio again the next night, he was able to make out more detail: "Three, forming a [right triangle]; the [right angle] to the south NGC 499, the short leg preceding [NGC 495], the long towards the north [NGC 496]. Those in the legs [NGC 495 and 496] the faintest imaginable; that at the rectangle [NGC 499] a deal larger and brighter, but still very faint." NGC 495 was later also observed by Heinrich d'Arrest and Herman Schultz who first noted the object's accurate position. This position is also noted in the New General Catalogue.

Description John Dreyer, creator of the New General Catalogue, uses Herschel's initial notation to describe the position of NGC 495 ("very faint, small, 1st of 3"). Modern observations however call NGC 495 a bright central galaxy with an apparent size of about 1.2' by 0.8'. It also includes fainter outer extensions, about 2.6' by 1.5'. The galaxy is also classified as a barred spiral galaxy of Hubble type SB0-a.

Supernova One supernova has been observed in NGC 495: SN 1999ej (Type Ia, mag. 18.1) was discovered by the Lick Observatory Supernova Search (LOSS) on 18 October 1999.

See also Barred Spiral Galaxy List of NGC objects (1–1000) Pisces (constellation)

References

External links

NGC 495 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images SEDS

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 495

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 495 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 495 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 495 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 495

In research: NGC 495 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 495 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 495 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1784, Barred spiral galaxies, Discoveries by William Herschel, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 495 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 495 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 495 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 495 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 495 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 495 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 495?

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 495.