astronomy

NGC 2964

NGC 2964 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 2964 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 2964 is an intermediate spiral galaxy located in the constellation of Leo. It is located at a distance of about 60 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 2964 is about 60,000 light years across.

Key takeaways

NGC 2964 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 2964 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 2964 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 2964 is an intermediate spiral galaxy located in the constellation of Leo. It is located at a distance of about 60 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 2964 is about 60,000 light years across. It was discovered by William Herschel on December 7, 1785.

Characteristics There is evidence that the galaxy has a weak bar running across the minor axis of the galaxy. The galaxy has four spiral arms, two emerging from ansae at each end of the bar and the others emerging near the centre of the bar, with the arms emerging from the ends of the bar being of higher surface brightness. All but the west arm have knotty appearance. The outer parts of the galaxy present twisted stellar kinematics, but otherwise the rotation is quite regular. Spiral dust lanes have been observed running towards the centre, where star formation possibly takes place. A circumnuclear ring observed in [OIII]/H-beta could be the site of active star formation. Another indication of a nuclear star forming ring is the detection of double peaked carbon monoxide emission lines. The central region of the galaxy has a stellar population of young-intermediate age, probably created by constant starburst activity that lasted for about 5 billion years. The total star formation rate of NGC 2964 is estimated to be about 4 M☉ per year. The nucleus of NGC 2964 appears to feature HII region activity. The spectrographic study of the nucleus revealed double peaked emission lines, which can be attributed to an ionisation cone created by an active galactic nucleus. In the centre of NGC 2964 is believed to lie a supermassive black hole whose upper mass limit is estimated to be between 1.4 and 24 million M☉.

Nearby galaxies NGC 2964 is the brightest galaxy in a galaxy group known as the NGC 2964 group. Other members of the group include NGC 2968, NGC 2970, NGC 3003, NGC 3011, NGC 3021. Other nearby galaxies include NGC 3118, NGC 3067, NGC 3032, NGC 3026, and their galaxy groups. NGC 2964 forms a non-interacting pair with NGC 2968, which lies 5.8 arcminutes away. A hydrogen bridge has been found to connect the two galaxies, while a tail extends towards NGC 2970.

References

External links

NGC 2964 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images NGC 2964 on SIMBAD

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 2964

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 2964 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 2964 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 2964 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 2964

In research: NGC 2964 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 2964 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 2964 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1785, Discoveries by William Herschel, Intermediate spiral galaxies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 2964 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 2964 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 2964 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 2964 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 2964 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 2964 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 2964?

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 2964.