astronomy

NGC 5591

NGC 5591 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 5591 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 5591 is a peculiar spiral galaxy, or more precisely an interacting galaxy pair, located in the constellation of Boötes, located around 540 million light years away. It was discovered by the American astronomer Lewis Swift in 1886.

Key takeaways

NGC 5591 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 5591 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 5591 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 5591 is a peculiar spiral galaxy, or more precisely an interacting galaxy pair, located in the constellation of Boötes, located around 540 million light years away. It was discovered by the American astronomer Lewis Swift in 1886. Its velocity relative to the cosmic microwave background is 7902±18 km/s, corresponding to a Hubble distance of 116.6±8.2 Mpc.

Observations In fact, this system is a pair of galaxies in gravitational interaction consisting of NGC 5591 and PGC 93125. However, Swift’s description (very faint, small, and round) suggests that he observed only NGC 5591. At a distance of 116.27±8.14 Mpc, PGC 93125 is therefore considered a companion galaxy rather than an object in the NGC catalogue. NGC 5591 exhibits a broad H I line. According to the SIMBAD database, NGC 5591 is classified as a radio galaxy. NGC 5591 is a galaxy whose nucleus shines in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum. It is listed in the Markarian Catalogue under the designation Mrk 809 (MK 809).

See also List of NGC objects (5001-6000)

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 5591

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 5591 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 5591 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 5591 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 5591

In research: NGC 5591 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 5591 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 5591 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1886, Boötes, Discoveries by Lewis Swift, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 5591 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.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study NGC 5591 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 5591 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 5591 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 5591 in simple terms?

Why does NGC 5591 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 5591?

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 5591.