astronomy

NGC 6338

NGC 6338 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 6338 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 6338 is a large lenticular galaxy located in the constellation Draco. It is located at an estimated distance of 392 million light years from Earth and was discovered by William Herschel in 1789.

Key takeaways

NGC 6338 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 6338 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 6338 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 6338 is a large lenticular galaxy located in the constellation Draco. It is located at an estimated distance of 392 million light years from Earth and was discovered by William Herschel in 1789. According to Herschel, he mentioned, "the object is faint, small and round with a little brighter middle."

Characteristics NGC 6338 is the brightest cluster galaxy in the NGC 6338 group, shown merging with another galaxy group. It forms a pair with MCG +10-24-117. It has an ellipsoidal appearance based on findings of a stellar component revolving around a major axis. NGC 6338 is also more luminous compared to other members with estimated absolute magnitudes of MB = -22.2 and MV = -21.92. NGC 6338 also contains a central bright source when seen in X-rays. A double nucleus is present in NGC 6338. The nucleus of NGC 6338 is active and it is classified both a LINER as well as a Fanaroff-Riley class type 0 radio galaxy. The most accepted theory for this energy source for active galactic nuclei is the presence of an accretion disk around a giant black hole. Furthermore, NGC 6338 has both young and old radio lobes, with radiative ages of 200 and 50 million years old. It also has a small parsec-scale radio jet with radio emission in its core. There are also X-ray cavities located both northeast and southwest of the galaxy's nucleus. Based on narrow band imaging taken with Hubble Space Telescope, NGC 6338 contains Hα emission originating from two compact clouds in its galactic center and three filaments along its minor axis. The filaments have a projected outward extension of ~ 13.5" and a total Hα flux of 1.78 × 10−14 erg s−1 cm−2.

References

External links NGC 6338 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images NCG 6338 on SIMBAD

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 6338

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 6338 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 6338 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 6338 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 6338

In research: NGC 6338 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 6338 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 6338 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Active galaxies, Astronomical objects discovered in 1789, Blazars, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 6338 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 6338 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 6338 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 6338 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 6338 in simple terms?

NGC 6338 is a large lenticular galaxy located in the constellation Draco. It is located at an estimated distance of 392 million light years from Earth and was discovered by William Herschel in 1789.

Why does NGC 6338 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 6338?

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 6338.