astronomy

NGC 3913

NGC 3913 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 3913 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 3913 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background for is 1,124±12 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 54.1 ± 3.8 Mly (16.58 ± 1.17 Mpc).

Key takeaways

NGC 3913 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 3913 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 3913 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 3913 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background for is 1,124±12 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 54.1 ± 3.8 Mly (16.58 ± 1.17 Mpc). However, three non redshift measurements give a much closer distance of 27.06 ± 14.19 Mly (8.297 ± 4.352 Mpc). It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 14 April 1785. It was also observed by Lewis Swift on 8 May 1890, which resulted in the galaxy also being listed in the Index Catalogue as IC 740. The SIMBAD database lists NGC 3913 as an Active Galaxy Nucleus Candidate, i.e. it has a compact region at the center of a galaxy that emits a significant amount of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum, with characteristics indicating that this luminosity is not produced by the stars.

NGC 3631 Group According to A.M. Garcia, NGC 3913 is part of the NGC 3631 group (also known as LGG 241). This group includes at least 10 galaxies, including NGC 3631, NGC 3657, NGC 3718, NGC 3729, NGC 3972, NGC 3998, UGC 6251, UGC 6446, and UGC 6816. NGC 3631 is also a member of the M109 Group.

Supernovae Three supernovae have been observed in NGC 3913:

SN 1963J (Type Ia, mag. 13.7) was discovered by Fritz Zwicky and Paul Wild on 18 May 1963. SN 1979B (Type Ia, mag. 16) was discovered by Leonida Rosino on 28 February 1979. SN 2026dix (Type IIb, mag. 16.2) was discovered by the MASTER program on 16 February 2026.

Image gallery

See also List of NGC objects (3001–4000)

References

External links Media related to NGC 3913 at Wikimedia Commons NGC 3913 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 3913

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 3913 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 3913 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 3913 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 3913

In research: NGC 3913 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 3913 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 3913 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1789, Discoveries by William Herschel, IC objects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 3913 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 3913 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 3913 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 3913 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 3913 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 3913 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 3913?

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 3913.