astronomy

NGC 3664

NGC 3664 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 3664 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 3664 is a magellanic barred spiral galaxy in the constellation of Leo. It is located about 80 million light years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 3664 is approximately 50,000 light years across.

Key takeaways

NGC 3664 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 3664 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 3664 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 3664 is a magellanic barred spiral galaxy in the constellation of Leo. It is located about 80 million light years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 3664 is approximately 50,000 light years across. It was discovered by Wilhelm Tempel on March 14, 1879. It is a member of the NGC 3640 Group of galaxies, which is a member of the Leo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the right edge of the Virgo Supercluster. The galaxy is characterised by its asymmetric shape, which features a single spiral arm and an off-centre bar. The distribution of HI is equally asymmetric.

Nearby galaxies NGC 3664 has a smaller satellite galaxy, known as NGC 3664A or UGC 6418, which lies 6.2 arcminutes to the south, at a projected distance of 25 to 30 kiloparsecs from NGC 3664. The HI mass of NGC 3664A is 4.5×108 M☉, which means that the system has similar masses as the system of the Large and Small Magellanic Cloud. A HI bridge has been detected to connect the two galaxies in images obtained by the Very Large Array. The HI also appears warped at the side of NGC 3664 opposite of NGC 3664A, indicating an ongoing interaction. The bar of NGC 3664 could have developed due to this interaction. NGC 3664 and its satellite belong to the NGC 3640 group, named after the galaxy NGC 3640. Other members of the galaxy group include NGC 3630, NGC 3641, and NGC 3643. The group belongs to the Leo II groups, a large collection of galaxies belonging to the Virgo Supercluster scattered across 30 million light years of space west of the Virgo Cluster.

See also NGC 4027 - a similar spiral galaxy

References

External links

NGC 3664 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images NGC 3664 on SIMBAD

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 3664

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 3664 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 3664 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 3664 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 3664

In research: NGC 3664 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 3664 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 3664 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Arp objects, Astronomical objects discovered in 1789, Barred spiral galaxies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 3664 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 3664 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 3664 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 3664 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 3664 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 3664 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 3664?

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 3664.