astronomy

NGC 5495

NGC 5495 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 5495 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 5495 is a very large barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Hydra. Its speed relative to the cosmic microwave background is 6,989 ± 20 km/s, corresponding to a Hubble distance of 103.1 ± 7.2 Mpc (~336 million ly).

Key takeaways

NGC 5495 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 5495 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 5495 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 5495 is a very large barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Hydra. Its speed relative to the cosmic microwave background is 6,989 ± 20 km/s, corresponding to a Hubble distance of 103.1 ± 7.2 Mpc (~336 million ly). NGC 5495 was discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on 13 May 1834. The luminosity class of NGC 5495 is III and it has a broad HI line. It also contains regions of ionized hydrogen, and is classified as an active Seyfert 2 type galaxy. Additionally, NGC 5495 is known to host a megamaser. Further evidence shows signs of H2O maser emission, detected via 70m NASA Deep Space Network antennas in Australia and Spain. The source spectra in NGC 5495 is said to have an emission signature originating from its accretion disk with an orbital velocity of ~400 km s−1. The galaxy was showcased as ESA/HUBBLE's Picture of the Week on 26 September 2022. The magnitude 12.2 star near the galaxy's eastern edge is catalogued as TYC 6738-702-1.

See also Whirlpool Galaxy, another spiral galaxy with a similar shape List of NGC objects (5001–6000)

External links NGC 5495 at NASA/IPAC NGC 5495 at SIMBAD NGC 5495 at SEDS NGC 5495 at LEDA

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 5495

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 5495 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 5495 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 5495 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 5495

In research: NGC 5495 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 5495 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 5495 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1834, Barred spiral galaxies, Discoveries by John Herschel, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 5495 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 5495 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 5495 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 5495 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 5495 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 5495 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 5495?

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 5495.