astronomy

NGC 3110

NGC 3110 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 3110 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 3110, also known as NGC 3122 and NGC 3518, is an active spiral galaxy in the constellation Sextans. It contains extensive Hubble-type Sb star-forming regions, and is located south of the celestial equator.

Key takeaways

NGC 3110 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 3110 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 3110 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 3110, also known as NGC 3122 and NGC 3518, is an active spiral galaxy in the constellation Sextans. It contains extensive Hubble-type Sb star-forming regions, and is located south of the celestial equator. It is estimated to be 218 million light-years from the Milky Way and has a diameter of around 100,000 ly. Together with PGC 29184 it forms a gravitationally bound galaxy pair. Located in the same area of the sky is the galaxy IC 589.

Discovery Multiple astronomers have documented NGC 3110 as different objects in the NGC catalogue. The object was first discovered by William Herschel on March 5, 1785, but this observation appears in the NGC catalogue under the designation NGC 3122. This galaxy was also observed by the French astronomer Édouard Stephan on February 17, 1884, and it is this observation which was entered in the NGC catalogue under the designation NGC 3110. Finally, the American astronomer Ormond Stone also observed this galaxy on December 31, 1885, and this observation was entered in the NGC catalogue under the designation NGC 3518.

Characteristics NGC 3110 has a broad HI line and is a bright infrared galaxy (LIRG). It also contains regions of ionized hydrogen. To date, three non-redshift measurements give a distance of 54.300 ± 1.375 Mpc (~177 million ly), which is outside the Hubble distance values.

See also List of NGC objects (3001–4000) Galaxy formation and evolution

References

External links NGC 3110 at SEDS.org NGC 3110 at SIMBAD

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 3110

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 3110 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 3110 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 3110 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 3110

In research: NGC 3110 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 3110 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 3110 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1785, Discoveries by William Herschel, NGC objects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 3110 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 3110 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 3110 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 3110 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 3110 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 3110 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 3110?

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 3110.