astronomy

NGC 1961

NGC 1961 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 1961 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 1961 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Camelopardalis. It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 3 December 1788.

Key takeaways

NGC 1961 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 1961 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 1961 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 1961 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Camelopardalis. It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 3 December 1788. It was also observed by Guillaume Bigourdan on 22 December 1891, causing it to be listed in the Index Catalogue as IC 2133. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background for is 3,909±2 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 188.0 ± 13.2 Mly (57.65 ± 4.04 Mpc). However, seven non redshift measurements give a much closer distance of 145.42 ± 27.36 Mly (44.586 ± 8.390 Mpc). The galaxy has been distorted, however no companion has been detected nor double nuclei that could show a recent merger. Its outer arms are highly irregular. Two long straight arms extend from the north side of the galaxy. A luminous X-ray corona has been detected around the galaxy. NGC 1961 is the central member of the small group of nine galaxies, the NGC 1961 group.

Supernovae Four supernovae have been observed in NGC 1961:

SN 1998eb (Type Ia, mag. 17.8) was discovered by the Lick Observatory Supernova Search (LOSS) on 17 August 1998. SN 2001is (Type Ib, mag. 17.6) was discovered by BAO and LOTOSS (Lick Observatory and Tenagra Observatory Supernova Searches) on 22 December 2001. SN 2013cc (Type II, mag. 17) was discovered by Kōichi Itagaki on 28 April 2013. SN 2021vaz (Type II, mag. 17.5) was discovered by Kōichi Itagaki on 5 August 2021.

Gallery

References

External links

NGC 1961 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 1961

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 1961 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 1961 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 1961 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 1961

In research: NGC 1961 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 1961 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 1961 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Arp objects, Astronomical objects discovered in 1788, Camelopardalis, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 1961 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 1961 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 1961 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 1961 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 1961 in simple terms?

NGC 1961 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Camelopardalis. It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 3 December 1788.

Why does NGC 1961 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 1961?

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 1961.