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astronomy

NGC 3447

NGC 3447 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 3447 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 3447 is a barred Magellanic spiral galaxy located in the constellation Leo. Its speed relative to the cosmic microwave background is 1,405 ± 34 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 20.7 ± 1.5 Mpc (~67.5 million ly).

NGC 3447 — main illustration
NGC 3447 — illustration

Key takeaways

  • NGC 3447 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 3447 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of NGC 3447 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 3447 is a barred Magellanic spiral galaxy located in the constellation Leo. Its speed relative to the cosmic microwave background is 1,405 ± 34 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 20.7 ± 1.5 Mpc (~67.5 million ly). It was discovered by the British astronomer John Herschel in 1836. NGC 3447 shows a broad HI line. With a surface brightness equal to 15.61 mag/am^2, NGC 3443 is classified as a low surface brightness galaxy (LSB). LSB galaxies are diffuse galaxies with a surface brightness less than one magnitude lower than that of the ambient night sky. To date, four non-redshift measurements yield a distance of 13.730 ± 9.802 Mpc (~44.8 million ly), which is slightly outside the range values of Hubble.

NGC 3447A NGC 3447A, also known as UGC 6007, is an irregular galaxy in contact with NGC 3447. It has roughly the same apparent magnitude, and has a slightly lower surface brightness. Due to gravitational forces, it has become distorted, showing disrupted spiral arms and remnants of its spiral structure, hinting it might have been a spiral galaxy in the past.

Supernova The supernova SN 2012ht (Type Ia, mag. 18.6) was discovered in NGC 3447 by Koichi Nishiyama and Fujio Kabashima on December 18, 2012.

NGC 3447 group NGC 3447 is the largest galaxy in a group of galaxies named after it. The NGC 3447 group includes at least 4 other galaxies: NGC 3447A, NGC 3457, UGC 6022 and UGC 6035.

See also List of NGC objects (3001–4000) List of spiral galaxies

External links NGC 3447 at NASA/IPAC NGC 3447 at SIMBAD NGC 3447 at LEDA NGC 3447 at SEDS NGC 3447 (DSS2) at WikiSky NGC 3447 (SDSS) at WikiSky NGC 3447 (GALEX) at WikiSky NGC 3447 at Seligman

References

Illustrations

NGC 3447 illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 3447

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 3447 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 3447 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 3447 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 3447

In research
NGC 3447 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 3447 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 3447 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1836, Barred spiral galaxies, Discoveries by John Herschel, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for NGC 3447 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 3447 in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what NGC 3447 means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain NGC 3447 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 3447 in simple terms?

NGC 3447 is a barred Magellanic spiral galaxy located in the constellation Leo. Its speed relative to the cosmic microwave background is 1,405 ± 34 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 20.7 ± 1.5 Mpc (~67.5 million ly).

Why does NGC 3447 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 3447?

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 3447.

Tags

  • Astronomical objects discovered in 1836
  • Barred spiral galaxies
  • Discoveries by John Herschel
  • IRAS catalogue objects
  • Interacting galaxies
  • Leo (constellation)
  • Magellanic spiral galaxies
  • NGC objects
  • Principal Galaxies Catalogue objects
  • UGC objects

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