astronomy

NGC 5273

NGC 5273 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 5273 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 5273 is a lenticular galaxy located 54 million light-years away in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici. This galaxy was discovered by William Herschel on May 1, 1785.

Key takeaways

NGC 5273 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 5273 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 5273 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 5273 is a lenticular galaxy located 54 million light-years away in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici. This galaxy was discovered by William Herschel on May 1, 1785. It is positioned 1+1⁄4° to the southeast of the star 25 Canum Venaticorum. The morphological classification of this galaxy is SA0(s), indicating it is lenticular in form. It displays a faint, unbarred spiral structure within a generally elliptical profile. NGC 5273 is classified as a type 1.5 Seyfert galaxy, with the X-ray emission from its active galactic nucleus undergoing significant absorption. However, data collected between the year 2000 and 2022 suggest this is a changing–look Seyfert, with the type ranging from 1 to 1.8/1.9. The activity level shows strong variability, allowing reverberation mapping of the supermassive black hole at the core. This object has an estimated mass of (4.7±1.6)×106 M☉.

References

Further reading Vincentelli, F. M.; et al. (February 2020), "X-ray reverberation lags from the 1.5 Seyfert galaxy NGC 5273", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 492 (1): 1135–1141, arXiv:1912.06196, Bibcode:2020MNRAS.492.1135V, doi:10.1093/mnras/stz3511. Chromey, F. R. (November 1973), "Studies of Ir II galaxies. I. NGC 4753 and NGC 5273", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 29: 77–84, Bibcode:1973A&A....29...77C.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 5273

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 5273 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 5273 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 5273 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 5273

In research: NGC 5273 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 5273 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 5273 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1785, Canes Venatici, Discoveries by William Herschel, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 5273 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 5273 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 5273 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 5273 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 5273 in simple terms?

NGC 5273 is a lenticular galaxy located 54 million light-years away in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici. This galaxy was discovered by William Herschel on May 1, 1785.

Why does NGC 5273 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 5273?

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 5273.