astronomy

PG 1411+442

PG 1411+442 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 PG 1411+442 rather than just read about it. In short: PG 1411+442 is a Seyfert type 1 galaxy located in the constellation of Boötes. The redshift for this object is (z) 0.089 and it was first discovered as a faint blue stellar object during the Palomar-Berger Blue Star Survey in 1976, before being identified as a quasar by follow-up spectroscopic observations.

Key takeaways

PG 1411+442 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PG 1411+442 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PG 1411+442 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PG 1411+442 is a Seyfert type 1 galaxy located in the constellation of Boötes. The redshift for this object is (z) 0.089 and it was first discovered as a faint blue stellar object during the Palomar-Berger Blue Star Survey in 1976, before being identified as a quasar by follow-up spectroscopic observations. Because the object displays broad absorption lines at a low redshift, it is confirmed as the nearest broad absorption-line quasar (BAL).

Description PG 1411+442 is classified as X-ray weak radio-quiet quasar. The host galaxy is an inclined spiral galaxy in stages of an early galaxy merger based on optical imaging. Its structure is found to be distorted, with a tidal loop feature being elongated by 88 kiloparsecs towards north, then subsequently wrapping around in east direction. An outer extended spiral arm can be seen towards the south direction from the host, suggestive of a tidal tail caused by the merger product. Observations showed the galaxy has a linear feature emerging straight out from its nucleus before merging with the outer arm. There is a companion galaxy located 3.6 kiloparsecs away with an elongated appearance. The radio source of PG 1411+442 is found heavily unresolved with an undetected blue jet curving towards the nucleus. There is a weak signal located on the galaxy's spiral structure as well as its outer arm. Evidence also pointed out the signal is well resolved in both the inner arms and the nuclear region. The arms are found to display a smooth curvature, but however they have a clumpy appearance suggesting the evidence of reddening. In the spectrum of the galaxy, lies many rich broad absorption lines made of various chemical elements including helium, calcium and sodium. When studied, these lines are however weaker compared to the strong absorption lines found in NGC 4151 and Markarian 231. This indicates the absorbing clouds are either extremely ionized or have lower densities. It is also found PG 1411+442 is marginally variable with an amplitude of only 0.1-0.3 magnitude on a short time scale of one year. However, it is noted to have hydrogen Balmer absorption lines shown varying significantly, suggesting photoionization is playing a role for causing these line changes. The central supermassive black hole mass of PG 1411+442 is estimated to be 3.5 ± 1.2 × 108 M☉ based on studies conducted on active galactic nuclei by Misty Benz and Sarah Katz in 2015. In 2025, it was found to undergo a quasi-periodic oscillation with a duration of 550 days. This might be suggested by a candidate binary black hole system lying in the center of the galaxy.

References

External links PG 1411+442 on SIMBAD

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PG 1411+442

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PG 1411+442 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 PG 1411+442 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 PG 1411+442 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 PG 1411+442

In research: PG 1411+442 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 PG 1411+442 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: PG 1411+442 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Active galaxies, Astronomical objects discovered in 1976, Boötes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PG 1411+442 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 PG 1411+442 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PG 1411+442 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 PG 1411+442 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PG 1411+442 in simple terms?

Why does PG 1411+442 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 PG 1411+442?

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 PG 1411+442.