{"id":54198,"date":"2024-01-24T09:08:51","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T09:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ccb0e58a-7ba6-4617-940c-1af1e221d547"},"modified":"2024-01-24T12:33:47","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T12:33:47","slug":"9-beautiful-edge-on-galaxies-and-why-theyre-important","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/9-beautiful-edge-on-galaxies-and-why-theyre-important\/","title":{"rendered":"9 beautiful edge-on galaxies, and why they’re important"},"content":{"rendered":"

We don’t see all galaxies the same! Some appear edge-on from Earth. Here are 9 of the most famous. <\/p>

By Russell Deeks\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 24 January 2024 at 09:08 AM<\/p>

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What are edge-on galaxies, and why are they important?<\/p>

Ask a room full of astronomers how many galaxies<\/a> there are in the observable Universe, and you\u2019re likely to get a wide range of estimates: from as few as 200 billion (200,000 million) to as many as two trillion (two million million).<\/p>

Either way, there are a lot\u2026 so it\u2019s no surprise that there are a lot of different kinds of galaxy<\/a>.<\/p>

There are elliptical, spiral and irregular galaxies \u2013 the three main categories \u2013 as well as more exotic varieties such as lenticular galaxies, peculiar galaxies, radio galaxies, ring galaxies, shell galaxies and so on.<\/p>

Edge-on galaxies like UGC 11537 can’t be seen in their entirety from Earth. Credit: ESA\/Hubble & NASA, A. Seth<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Edge-on galaxies explained<\/strong><\/h2>

Edge-on galaxies, on the other hand, are slightly different. The terms above all describe the morphology (shape) of a galaxy, whereas \u2018edge-on\u2019 merely describes the angle at which it is seen from Earth.<\/p>

Elliptical galaxies generally appear as a round-ish blob, whatever angle you\u2019re looking at them from. Spiral and lenticular galaxies, on the other hand, can be either \u2018face-on\u2019 or \u2018edge-on\u2019.<\/p>

Put very simply, if it looks like a whirlpool, it\u2019s a face-on spiral galaxy (for example, the Whirlpool Galaxy<\/a>, one of the most famous of all).<\/p>

While if it\u2019s vaguely cigar-shaped, it\u2019s an edge-on spiral (or possibly lenticular) galaxy.<\/p>

So far, so straightforward \u2013 and to make matters even easier, there\u2019s another clue in the name of some of the best-known edge-on galaxies, such as the Cigar Galaxy<\/a>, the Needle Galaxy<\/a> and the Hockey Stick Galaxy.<\/p>

We won\u2019t insult your intelligence by pointing out that cigars, needles and hockey sticks are all long, thin objects \u2013 which is exactly how edge-on galaxies appear on the night sky when viewed from Earth.<\/p>

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The difference perspective can make! Galaxy NGC 4302 appears edge-on while galaxy NGC 4298 appears face-on, from our perspective on Earth. Both galaxies are 55 million lightyears away. Credit: ESA\/NASA Hubble<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The science of edge-on galaxies<\/strong><\/h2>

As for these galaxies\u2019 scientific significance \u2013 that\u2019s nice and easy, too.<\/p>

Viewing galaxies edge-on, as opposed to face-on, can reveal much more about their three-dimensional structure, and hence give us clues as to the mechanics of their formation.<\/p>

For instance, were all galaxies neatly arranged at right-angles to the Earth, so we saw them squarely face-on, it may have taken us a longer to work out that spiral galaxies have a central \u2018bulge\u2019, a thickening of the galactic disc in its centre.<\/p>

A good example of this is the UFO Galaxy, an edge-on spiral that bears a remarkable similarity to the classic, cartoon-y idea of a \u2018flying saucer\u2019.<\/p>

But that\u2019s just one well-known example here are some more edge-on galaxies, and we’ve included the Right Ascension and Declination coordinates to help you find them yourself in the night sky.<\/p>

For another observing challenge try and spot each of our lesser known galaxies<\/a> you may not have seen before.<\/p>

9 beautiful edge-on galaxies<\/strong><\/h2>

The Cigar Galaxy<\/strong><\/h3>
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Credit: NASA\/SOFIA\/E. Lopez-Rodriguez; NASA\/Spitzer\/J. Moustakas et al.<\/figcaption><\/figure>