astronomy

NGC 3583

NGC 3583 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 3583 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 3583 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. It is located at a distance of circa 90 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 3583 is about 85,000 light years across.

Key takeaways

NGC 3583 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 3583 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 3583 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 3583 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. It is located at a distance of circa 90 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 3583 is about 85,000 light years across. It was discovered by William Herschel on February 5, 1788.

Characteristics NGC 3585 has a bright nucleus and an elliptical bulge. It has a prominent bar which is about 30 arcseconds long. The spiral arms start approximately at the radius of the end of the bar. One arm emanates from northwest edge of the bulge. At its start is quite diffuse but after passing near the bar becomes better defined. After reaching the southeast part of the galaxy it starts to fade. The other arm emanates from the southeast end of the bar. It appears to branch after passing from the other side of the bar, with the two branches running parallelly. The galaxy has many HII regions. The star formation rate in the galaxy based on the infrared luminosity is 9.8 M☉ per year.

Supernovae Two supernovae have been observed in NGC 3583:

SN 1975P (type unknown, mag. 15) was discovered by Charles Kowal on 1 December 1975. ASASSN-15so (Type Ia, mag. 15.1) was discovered by ASAS-SN on 8 November 2015, about 10 days before maximum light.

Nearby galaxies NGC 3583 is the foremost galaxy in the NGC 3583 galaxy group. Also member of the group is the galaxy NGC 3595, while a bit farther away lies NGC 3614 and its group. NGC 3583 forms a pair with a small elliptical galaxy, which lies 0.9 arcminutes from NGC 3583. Barred spiral galaxy NGC 3577 lies at a projected distance of 5 arcminutes.

See also List of NGC objects (3001–4000)

References

External links

NGC 3583 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 3583

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 3583 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 3583 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 3583 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 3583

In research: NGC 3583 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 3583 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 3583 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1788, Barred spiral galaxies, Discoveries by William Herschel, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 3583 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 3583 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 3583 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 3583 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 3583 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 3583 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 3583?

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 3583.