astronomy

G 196-3

G 196-3 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 G 196-3 rather than just read about it. In short: G 196-3 is a young low-mass M dwarf type star which is about 100 million years old. The star is located within the Ursa Major constellation about 71.1 light years away from the Earth.

Key takeaways

G 196-3 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect G 196-3 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of G 196-3 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

G 196-3 is a young low-mass M dwarf type star which is about 100 million years old. The star is located within the Ursa Major constellation about 71.1 light years away from the Earth. During observations by Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias in Tenerife, Spain in 1998, a substellar-mass object was discovered to orbit approximately 300 astronomical units (AU) from the star. It was detected using direct imaging.

Substellar companion Observations of the substellar object were performed on January 25, 1998 where a faint red companion was present 16.2 arc seconds southwest of the star. A comparison of images taken at different wavelengths was done using low-intermediate-resolution spectroscopy confirmed the presence of a substellar object which was named G 196-3B. The Further observations confirmed the discovery when the team of Rafael Rebolo obtained R & I broadband photometry on March 19, 1998. The TCS Telescope showed its very cool nature in near-infrared (K Band). The comparison of the optical and infrared magnitudes including dust condensation has allowed astronomers to conclude that the substellar object was 25–10+15 Jupiter masses or simply 25 masses that of the Jovian-planet Jupiter. This was the second discovery of a brown dwarf that was found around a low-mass star whose age was relatively young. The separation of the star and the substellar object has suggested that both were parts of a fragment from a collapsing cloud although another possible scenario suggests that it originated from a dissipated protoplanetary disk.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with G 196-3

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what G 196-3 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 G 196-3 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 G 196-3 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 G 196-3

In research: G 196-3 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 G 196-3 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: G 196-3 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics L-type brown dwarfs, M-type main-sequence stars, Ursa Major, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for G 196-3 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 G 196-3 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what G 196-3 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 G 196-3 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is G 196-3 in simple terms?

G 196-3 is a young low-mass M dwarf type star which is about 100 million years old. The star is located within the Ursa Major constellation about 71.1 light years away from the Earth.

Why does G 196-3 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 G 196-3?

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 G 196-3.