astronomy

NGC 5480

NGC 5480 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 5480 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 5480 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is 2,045±10 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 98.4 ± 6.9 Mly (30.16 ± 2.12 Mpc).

Key takeaways

NGC 5480 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 5480 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 5480 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 5480 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is 2,045±10 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 98.4 ± 6.9 Mly (30.16 ± 2.12 Mpc). However, 15 non-redshift measurements give a closer mean distance of 77.45 ± 5.01 Mly (23.747 ± 1.536 Mpc). It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 15 May 1787. NGC 5480 is listed as having an active galactic nucleus.

NGC 5448 group According to A. M. Garcia, the galaxy NGC 5480 is a member of the NGC 5448 group (also known as LGG 372). This galaxy group has at least nine members, including NGC 5425, NGC 5448, NGC 5477, NGC 5481, NGC 5500, NGC 5520, UGC 9056, and UGC 9083. NGC 5480 and neighboring galaxy NGC 5481 are listed together as Holm 588 in Erik Holmberg's A Study of Double and Multiple Galaxies Together with Inquiries into some General Metagalactic Problems, published in 1937.

Supernovae Two supernovae have been observed in NGC 5480:

SN 1988L (Type Ib, mag. 16.5) was discovered by Saul Perlmutter and Carlton R. Pennypacker on 30 April 1988. SN 2017iro (Type Ib, mag. 15.5) was discovered by Patrick Wiggins on 30 November 2017.

See also List of NGC objects (5001–6000)

References

External links Media related to NGC 5480 at Wikimedia Commons NGC 5480 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 5480

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 5480 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 5480 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 5480 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 5480

In research: NGC 5480 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 5480 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 5480 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1787, Discoveries by William Herschel, IRAS catalogue objects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 5480 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 5480 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 5480 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 5480 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 5480 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 5480 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 5480?

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 5480.