astronomy

NGC 2697

NGC 2697 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 2697 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 2697 is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Hydra. The galaxy lies about 90 million light years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 2697 is approximately 50,000 light years across.

Key takeaways

NGC 2697 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 2697 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 2697 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 2697 is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Hydra. The galaxy lies about 90 million light years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 2697 is approximately 50,000 light years across. It was discovered by Bindon Stoney, assistant of William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, on January 24, 1851.

Characteristics NGC 2697 is categorised as an unbarred lenticular galaxy. The galaxy doesn't have a bulge. The gas and stars of the galaxy rotate at different speeds, indicating that they are tilted with respect to each other. The stars at the central 10–15" of the galaxy rotate slower than the stars at the disk, indicating the galaxy has two kinematically decoupled star disks. The galaxy has a dust ring at 3 arcseconds from the nucleus and an ultraviolet ring located 7 to 11 arcseconds from the nucleus. The stars between the two rings have a mean age of 5–7 billion years. The stars at the nucleus of the galaxy are older. The galaxy probably accreted a dwarf galaxy about 1.5 billion years ago, with the outer disk acquiring some metal poor stars while the gas lead to star formation in the inner disk. The current star formation rate of the galaxy is estimated to be 0.2 M☉ per year. Star formation takes place along a ring that is visible in ultraviolet.

Nearby galaxies NGC 2697 is a member of the NGC 2698 group. Other members of the group include NGC 2695, NGC 2698, NGC 2699, NGC 2708, and NGC 2709. A bit further away lie NGC 2706 and NGC 2690.

References

External links

NGC 2697 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 2697

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 2697 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 2697 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 2697 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 2697

In research: NGC 2697 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 2697 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 2697 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1851, Hydra (constellation), Lenticular galaxies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 2697 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 2697 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 2697 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 2697 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 2697 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 2697 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 2697?

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 2697.