astronomy

NGC 3614

NGC 3614 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 3614 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 3614 is an intermediate spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. It is located at a distance of about 120 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 3614 is about 150,000 light years across.

Key takeaways

NGC 3614 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 3614 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 3614 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 3614 is an intermediate spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. It is located at a distance of about 120 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 3614 is about 150,000 light years across. It was discovered by William Herschel on February 5, 1788.

Characteristics NGC 3614 is an intermediate spiral galaxy with a small bright nucleus and traces of a faint bar. However, there is no bar detected in the infrared images obtained by the Spitzer Space Telescope, with the galaxy's morphological type being characterised as SA(r)bc by the ARRAKIS study. The galaxy features a narrow inner ring measuring 0.47 by 0.24 arcminutes. From the inner ring emerge two main, knotty and filamentary arms that start branching after three quarters of a revolution creating a multiple spiral arm pattern. Many HII regions and star forming knots are visible in the arms. The star formation rate of the galaxy is estimated to be 0.3 M☉ per year. The galactic disk extends 5′.4 in its major east–west axis and 3′ along its minor north–south axis. Adam Block discovered the galaxy has two stellar streams. The brighter stellar stream begins at the northern part of the galactic disk and extends 4′.6 at a position angle of 314° with respect to the nucleus of NGC 3614 (in the direction of galaxy 2MASSX J11180157+4547453). The stream is uniform in its brightness and devoid of any discernable structure. The second stream appears to be associated with galaxy SDSS J111838+454721.7. The total length of this stream is approximately 3′.8 at a position angle of 40°. The galaxy could be the progenitor of the stream and both the trailing and leading tidal tails are visible.

Nearby galaxies NGC 3614 seems to form a pair with NGC 3614A, which lies at distance of 2.6 arcminutes, which appears diffuse and patchy, however it is a background galaxy. NGC 3614 forms a group with NGC 3583 and NGC 3595.

Gallery

References

External links

NGC 3614 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 3614

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 3614 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 3614 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 3614 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 3614

In research: NGC 3614 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 3614 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 3614 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 3614 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 3614 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 3614 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 3614 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 3614 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 3614 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 3614?

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 3614.