What are some examples of irregular galaxies?
What are some examples of irregular galaxies?
The best known examples of irregular galaxies are the Small and Large Magellanic clouds. These are companion galaxies to our own Milky Way, and can be easily seen at dark sites in the Southern Hemisphere. The Large (left) and Small (right) Magellanic clouds are prime examples of irregular galaxies.
How elliptical galaxies are formed?
When two spirals collide, they lose their familiar shape, morphing into the less-structured elliptical galaxies. A supermassive black hole is thought to lie at the center of these ancient galaxies. These gluttonous giants consume gas and dust, and may play a role in the slower growth of elliptical galaxies.
Where are irregular galaxies found?
Irregular galaxies are usually found in groups or clusters, where collisions and near-misses between galaxies are common. In a few irregular galaxies, astronomers can’t figure out why they look so strange!
What is an example of a spiral galaxy?
The Milky Way – the galaxy that includes Earth and our solar system – is an example of a spiral galaxy. The disk of stars orbiting the bulge separates into arms that circle the galaxy. These spiral arms contain a wealth of gas and dust and younger stars that shine brightly before their quick demise.
What type of galaxy is Hoag’s object?
ring galaxy
Hoag’s Object is a non-typical galaxy of the type known as a ring galaxy. It is named after Arthur Hoag, who discovered it in 1950 and identified it as either a planetary nebula or a peculiar galaxy with eight billion stars, spanning roughly 100,000 light years.
How many elliptical galaxies are there in the universe?
There are 100,000,000,000 galaxies in the universe (best guess). 20 percent of known galaxies are elliptical. If the known galaxies are a good representation of the universe make up then that would mean that 20 percent of all the galaxies would be elliptical.
What are the 4 main shapes of galaxies?
In 1936, Hubble debuted a way to classify galaxies, grouping them into four main types: spiral galaxies, lenticular galaxies, elliptical galaxies, and irregular galaxies.
