astronomy

NGC 4958

NGC 4958 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 4958 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 4958 is a barred lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy lies about 40 million light years away from Earth based on refshift-independent methods, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 4958 is approximately 45,000 light years across.

Key takeaways

NGC 4958 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 4958 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 4958 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 4958 is a barred lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy lies about 40 million light years away from Earth based on refshift-independent methods, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 4958 is approximately 45,000 light years across. Based on redshift the galaxy is about 80 million light years away. It was discovered by William Herschel on March 3, 1786. The galaxy is included in the Herschel 400 Catalogue. Through a small telescope it appears as a small but well concentrated circular glow. NGC 4958 has an elliptical bulge embedded in a thick disk. A bright lens, measuring 1.8 by 0.45 arcminutes, with faint ansae surrounds the bulge. There is a possible ring with a diameter of 1.2 arcminutes. The nucleus is very bright. The optical spectrum of the nuclear region revealed the presence of a broad double-peaked H-alpha element, which was attributed to the presence of an accretion disk around the central supermassive black hole. Based on this spectrum the nucleus is considered to be active and has been characterised as a type 1 LINER. The mass of the supermassive black hole is estimated to be 107.47+0.11−0.03 (28 - 38 millions) M☉. NGC 4958 is a member of the NGC 4697 Group, also known as LGG 314. Other members of the group include NGC 4697, NGC 4731, NGC 4775, NGC 4941, NGC 4951, and NGC 4948. NGC 4948 lies 14 arcminutes away, while NGC 4948A is 13.5 arcminutes away. It is part of the Virgo II Groups, a chain of groups extending from the Virgo Cluster.

References

External links

NGC 4958 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images NGC 4958 on SIMBAD

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 4958

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 4958 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 4958 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 4958 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 4958

In research: NGC 4958 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 4958 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 4958 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1786, Barred lenticular galaxies, Discoveries by William Herschel, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 4958 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 4958 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 4958 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 4958 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 4958 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 4958 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 4958?

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 4958.