astronomy

NGC 3718

NGC 3718 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 3718 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 3718, also called Arp 214, is a galaxy located approximately 52 million light years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. Near NGC 3718 is the galaxy NGC 3729, a peculiar barred spiral galaxy.

Key takeaways

NGC 3718 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 3718 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 3718 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 3718, also called Arp 214, is a galaxy located approximately 52 million light years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. Near NGC 3718 is the galaxy NGC 3729, a peculiar barred spiral galaxy. It is either a lenticular or spiral galaxy. NGC 3718 exhibits a warped, S-shape similar to NGC 6872, and has a prominent dust lane obscuring the central bulge. The innermost disc of gas follows the dust lane has a polar orbit around NGC 3718's center, making it a polar-ring galaxy. NGC 3718 is thought to represent an early stage in the evolution of polar-ring galaxies. The unique morphology may be a result of gravitational interaction with NGC 3729, another spiral galaxy located 150,000 light-years away. The Hickson Compact Group 56 can be seen south of one of NGC 3718's spiral arms. HCG 56 is eight times farther away than NGC 3718 and NGC 3729. NGC 3718 is a member of the Ursa Major Cluster.

Hickson Compact Group South of NGC 3718 the Hickson Compact Group #56 is located. HCG 56 is a compact group of galaxies of which 4 members are interacting with each other. This group is about 120 Mpc distant to our galaxy, which is about 8 times more distant than NGC 3718. The edge on galaxy is not actually part of the group, but slightly farther back. The 4 merging galaxies are expected to merge into one big elliptical galaxy.

Gallery

References

External links Media related to NGC 3718 at Wikimedia Commons

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 3718

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 3718 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 3718 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 3718 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 3718

In research: NGC 3718 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 3718 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 3718 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Arp objects, Intermediate spiral galaxies, NGC objects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 3718 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 3718 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 3718 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 3718 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 3718 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 3718 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 3718?

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 3718.