The Cartwheel Galaxy is a ring galaxy and lenticular galaxy that sits in the Sculptor constellation, around 500 million light-years from Earth. Its diameter is approximately 150,000 light-years across and possesses a mass of roughly 2.9-4.8 x 19^9 solar masses. Continue reading to find out when this galaxy was discovered and why it is named … Read more
The main differences between spiral and irregular galaxies would include their shapes. The former has a spiral shape and the latter has no discernable shape, spiral galaxies are larger than the Milky Way roughly 5 – 10 times that of your average irregular galaxy and that spiral galaxies make up 60% of all galaxies in … Read more
The main differences between elliptical and irregular galaxies is that elliptical galaxies have a discernable elongated disc like shape whereas irregular galaxies have no discernable shape, elliptical galaxies are up to 1 million light years in size whilst irregular galaxies are 20,000 light years and that elliptical galaxies are the older of the 2 galaxy … Read more
Galaxies come in all shapes and sizes, and ellipticals are some of the largest, with huge spherical gatherings of up to a trillion stars. They possess an ellipsoidal and smooth shape, and most comprise older, low-mass stars. They have very little gas or dust within their systems, which often prevents them from forming new stars. … Read more
The Black Eye Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy that lies 17 million light-years away from Earth. It gained fame after its discovery in 1779 for its unique “eye-like” appearance caused by a dust band that partially covers the galaxy’s nucleus. And the unique nature of this formation doesn’t end there. Continue reading to find … Read more
A hypernova, also known as a collapsar, is a highly energetic supernova resulting from the core collapse of a massive star. While it is similar to a supernova, it is far more powerful and exudes much more light. The jets formed from a hypernova create gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which could be responsible for mass extinction … Read more
Space, time, and distance are far more complicated than we imagine unless, of course, you’re a scientist who makes these calculations and understandings a part of their daily life. Suffice it to say, the Big Bang has more secrets behind its inception than even the greatest minds can fathom. The reason that the galaxies are … Read more
Scientists use four terms to differentiate the different types of galaxies: spiral galaxies, barred spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, and irregular galaxies. This article assesses the similarities and differences of the barred spiral galaxy vs. an unbarred spiral galaxy. The main difference between a barred spiral and unbarred spiral galaxy is the large bar that runs … Read more
A Peculiar galaxy collides, interacts, is cannibalistic, has a strange shape, or is considered diverse somehow. These are the unusual galaxies in their size, structure, and composition. They form from the interaction of two or more galaxies. Continue reading to discover the shape and composition of peculiar galaxies, how scientists first discovered these oddball formations, … Read more
Galaxies are flat because of their rotation. All of the stars, planets and other objects in a galaxy are rotating around the core of the said galaxy, and the conservation of angular momentum allows these objects to spread outward, but not any other direction, which is why they are flat. There are a lot of … Read more