Posted on 03/09/2016 1:38:41 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Explanation: Why is this galaxy so thin? Many disk galaxies are actually just as thin as NGC 5866, pictured above, but are not seen edge-on from our vantage point. One galaxy that is situated edge-on is our own Milky Way Galaxy. Classified as a lenticular galaxy, NGC 5866 has numerous and complex dust lanes appearing dark and red, while many of the bright stars in the disk give it a more blue underlying hue. The blue disk of young stars can be seen extending past the dust in the extremely thin galactic plane, while the bulge in the disk center appears tinged more orange from the older and redder stars that likely exist there. Although similar in mass to our Milky Way Galaxy, light takes about 60,000 years to cross NGC 5866, about 30 percent less than light takes to cross our own Galaxy. In general, many disk galaxies are very thin because the gas that formed them collided with itself as it rotated about the gravitational center. Galaxy NGC 5866 lies about 50 million light years distant toward the constellation of the Dragon (Draco).
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Legacy Archive; Processed & Copyright: Hunter Wilson]
It’s terribly thin! It should eat some more matter....................
[Why is this galaxy so thin?]
It’s on Jenny Craig?
Because it eats fish? Whales may be the largest mammal, but as George says, they don’t have to be.
Neat galaxy! And only created 5000 years ago to boot!
This is how it looked 50 million years ago. We don’t know what it looks like now. Maybe it has put on weight.
True. Maybe that 1x4x9 thingy from “2001” is actually a chocolate bar.
“My goodness, it’s full of almonds!”
Nope, 5866 years ago — NGC 5866 stands for “new galaxy created 5866” (years before present). /s
Disk galaxies are fairly new. Now those 8-Track galaxies, they are old!
That is a 33 1/3 rpm Long Playing galaxy, older than 8 track...
I'm guessing it may also be single, and neat.
[Not that there's anything wrong with that.]
Explains a lot. Why people are so edgy. It is our galaxy's fault. It is a miracle we have survived 5866 years.
Also known as Messier 102.
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