astronomy

NGC 504

NGC 504 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 504 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 504, also occasionally referred to as PGC 5084 or UGC 935, is a lenticular galaxy located approximately 189 million light-years from the Solar System in the constellation Pisces. It was discovered on 22 November 1827 by astronomer John Herschel.

Key takeaways

NGC 504 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 504 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 504 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 504, also occasionally referred to as PGC 5084 or UGC 935, is a lenticular galaxy located approximately 189 million light-years from the Solar System in the constellation Pisces. It was discovered on 22 November 1827 by astronomer John Herschel. The object was listed twice in the General Catalogue, precursor of the New General Catalogue, as both GC 291 and GC 292.

Observation history Herschel discovered the object without recording a visual description. However, he noted the nebula "precedes NGC 507 by about 10 seconds and is half a field to the south of it". NGC 504 was later also independently discovered by Heinrich d'Arrest, using an 11" reflecting telescope in Copenhagen and assuming the object was new. This led to Herschel cataloguing the two observations separately as GC 291 and GC 292. The objects were later combined by John Louis Emil Dreyer with the creation of the New General Catalogue, in which the galaxy was described as "very faint, small".

See also Lenticular galaxy List of NGC objects (1–1000) Pisces (constellation)

References

External links

NGC 504 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 504

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 504 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 504 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 504 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 504

In research: NGC 504 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 504 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 504 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1827, Discoveries by John Herschel, Lenticular galaxies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 504 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 504 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 504 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 504 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 504 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 504 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 504?

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 504.