NGC 1090

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ngc-1090

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered NGC 1090?1885
2. How heavy is NGC 1090?Millions of solar masses
3. How big is NGC 1090?Galaxy evolution, active galactic nuclei, black hole-galaxy co-evolution, dark matter distribution
4. What is the galaxy type?Spiral galaxy (potentially barred, with a ring structure)
5. What is the central object?Supermassive black hole, potentially powering an active galactic nucleus
6. Where can I find NGC 1090 in the sky?NGC 1090 is a distant galaxy, so it isn’t visible to the naked eye. It can be seen with powerful telescopes that look far into space.

Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN): A compact region at the center of a galaxy that has a much higher luminosity than its host galaxy, powered by accretion onto a supermassive black hole.
Galaxy Morphology: The classification of galaxies based on their visual appearance, typically into spiral, elliptical, and irregular types.
Accretion Disk: A structure formed by diffuse material in orbital motion around a massive central body, such as a star or black hole, from which the central body gains mass.