astronomy

NGC 5170

NGC 5170 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 5170 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 5170 is a large, nearby, edge-on spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. It was discovered on February 7, 1785 by William Herschel.

Key takeaways

NGC 5170 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 5170 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 5170 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 5170 is a large, nearby, edge-on spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. It was discovered on February 7, 1785 by William Herschel. This galaxy is located at a distance of 83.5 million light years and is receding at a heliocentric radial velocity of 1,502 km/s. It is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster. The inclination of the galactic plane of NGC 5170 is tilted at an angle of ~86° to the line of sight from the Earth, which means the disk is significantly obscured. It is estimated to have a morphological class of type Sb to Sc, meaning the spiral arms are moderate to loosely wound. The bulge-to-disk ratio of 0.5 is more consistent with an Sb galaxy. It has an estimated star formation rate of 1.37±0.23 M☉·yr−1, which is more than double the rate in the Milky Way. The galactic latitude of this star is 43°, making the field relatively free of stars in the Milky Way. Combined with the proximity and edge-on view of NGC 5170, this makes galaxy useful for studies of its globular cluster population. It is estimated to have a total of 600±100 globulars, which is much higher than for the Milky Way. A candidate ultra-compact dwarf galaxy has been identified that is associated with NGC 5170. Numerical modeling of this galaxy indicates it has a massive dark halo with a thin, low surface brightness disk. The halo mass of NGC 5170 is 3.4×1012 M☉. Examination of the galaxy with the Chandra X-ray Observatory showed there is no diffuse X-ray emission from hot gas in the extended galactic halo.

References

External links Media related to NGC 5170 at Wikimedia Commons

NGC 5170 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 5170

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 5170 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 5170 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 5170 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 5170

In research: NGC 5170 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 5170 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 5170 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics NGC objects, Principal Galaxies Catalogue objects, UGCA objects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 5170 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 5170 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 5170 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 5170 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 5170 in simple terms?

NGC 5170 is a large, nearby, edge-on spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. It was discovered on February 7, 1785 by William Herschel.

Why does NGC 5170 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 5170?

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 5170.