astronomy

NGC 6670

NGC 6670 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 6670 rather than just read about it. In short: NGC 6670 is a pair of interacting galaxies within the Draco constellation, which lie around 401 million light-years from Earth. Its shape resembles a leaping dolphin.

Key takeaways

NGC 6670 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 6670 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NGC 6670 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NGC 6670 is a pair of interacting galaxies within the Draco constellation, which lie around 401 million light-years from Earth. Its shape resembles a leaping dolphin. NGC 6670 was discovered by Lewis A. Swift on July 31, 1886. NGC 6670 is a combination of two colliding disc galaxies which are known as NGC 6670E and NGC 6670W. The galaxy is 100 billion times brighter than the Sun. The galaxies have already collided once before and they are now moving towards each other again nearing a second collision. Its apparent magnitude is 14.3, its size is 1.0 arc minutes.

NGC 6670E NGC 6670E (also known as NGC 6670-1 and NGC 6670B) is a disc galaxy on the north-eastern side of NGC 6670. It has mostly been destroyed by its collision with NGC 6670W. It has a bright nuclear region with a luminosity of 18 L☉/Mbol due to a large amount of star formation. Its star formation efficiency is at least four times higher than the Milky Way disc, and is approaching the starburst phase. This large amount of star formation is likely to be caused by its collision with NGC 6670W. To the south-east of the nucleus there is a bright and fuzzy area caused by dust extinction or a large concentration of blue stars. NGC 6670E is in-front of NGC 6670W and they are moving towards each other. The movement of the H I region of this galaxy has been disrupted by its collision with NGC 6670W.

NGC 6670W NGC 6670W (also known as NGC 6670-2 and NGC 6670A) is a disc galaxy on the south-western side of NGC 6670. It forms the larger part of NGC 6670. It has remained mostly intact after its collision with NGC 6670E. Its nuclear region is slightly dimmer than NGC 6670E, being measured at 11 L☉/Mbol, but this number still indicates a higher than normal level of star production. Both the western and eastern sides of the disc are significantly curved. The H I region of NGC 6670W is a rotating ring. The western end of the galaxy has a stronger radio continuum peak indicating that it may be a recent star forming region.

References

External links Media related to NGC 6670 at Wikimedia Commons

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NGC 6670

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NGC 6670 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 6670 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 6670 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 6670

In research: NGC 6670 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 6670 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 6670 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1886, Discoveries by Lewis Swift, Draco (constellation), so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NGC 6670 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 6670 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NGC 6670 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 6670 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NGC 6670 in simple terms?

NGC 6670 is a pair of interacting galaxies within the Draco constellation, which lie around 401 million light-years from Earth. Its shape resembles a leaping dolphin.

Why does NGC 6670 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 6670?

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 6670.