astronomy

NGC 3172

NGC 3172 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 3172 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 3172 (also known as Polarissima Borealis) is a lenticular galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is the closest NGC object to the north celestial pole.

Key takeaways

NGC 3172 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 3172 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 3172 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 3172 (also known as Polarissima Borealis) is a lenticular galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is the closest NGC object to the north celestial pole. Discovered by John Herschel in 1831, it is about 285 million light-years away and about 85 thousand light-years across.

Supernovae Two supernovae have been observed in NGC 3172:

SN 2010af (Type Ia, mag. 17.2), was discovered by Tom Boles on 4 March 2010. SN 2017gla (Type Ia, mag. 16), was discovered on by Giancarlo Cortini on 1 September 2017.

See also NGC 2573 - the closest NGC object to the south celestial pole. List of NGC objects (3001–4000)

References

External links SIMBAD: NGC 3054 -- Galaxy

NGC 3172 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 3172

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 3172 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 3172 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 3172 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 3172

In research: NGC 3172 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 3172 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 3172 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Lenticular galaxies, Lenticular galaxy stubs, MCG objects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 3172 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 3172 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 3172 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 3172 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 3172 in simple terms?

NGC 3172 (also known as Polarissima Borealis) is a lenticular galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is the closest NGC object to the north celestial pole.

Why does NGC 3172 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 3172?

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 3172.