Buzz
We've all encountered images of galaxies in our school science books, but what many may not realize is that galaxies aren't all the same. In fact, some are incredibly strange in appearance. While the Milky Way might seem flawless and orderly, the galaxies featured below stand as the quirky, imperfect offspring of the universe.
10. Hoag’s Object
Hoag’s Object appears as if it consists of two separate galaxies: a bright yellow cluster of stars at the core and a blue ring of stars encircling it, with a vast expanse of space in between. However, this is actually just one galaxy, much like how Saturn is a single planet despite its iconic rings.
When scientists were asked to explain how Hoag’s Object came into being, the answer was an unmistakable “what?” Ultimately, it was classified as a type of ring galaxy, and that was that. Curious for another example? Just take a look near the top of the ring. There’s another one off in the distance, which is unusual since such galaxies are quite rare.
9. Arp 87
Arp 87 represents the aftermath when two galaxies collide in a cosmic battle—only one emerges. Galactic collisions are actually quite frequent, and sometimes they result in close encounters, just like the one we see here.
These two galaxies almost collided billions of years ago, and as they drifted apart, gravity stretched material between them. It’s likely they will continue to almost collide in a series of near-misses until they eventually merge into a single, massive galaxy. For now, they remain connected by a thin stream of stars, gas, and dust particles, resembling gigantic intergalactic bolas, which can only suggest one thing: space Incas.
8. Antennae Galaxies
Here we observe another pair of galaxies in the process of merging, but they are much further along. The only hint that these were once two separate galaxies are the yellow star clusters at each end—once the galactic cores. Now, they have blended into a single, amorphous mass, slowly moving toward a stable state, ultimately defining the shape of the new galaxy.
Most of the current star clusters in this galactic duo will drift apart before the final galaxy is formed—only the largest clusters will survive the merger. What’s particularly fascinating about this process is the insight it offers into what will happen when the Milky Way inevitably merges with the nearby Andromeda galaxy, which is slowly making its way toward us. But don’t worry: This won’t happen for several billion years.
7. Sombrero Galaxy
The Sombrero Galaxy, as its name suggests, closely resembles a hat. It has a pronounced central bulge, almost as if a giant cosmic head might fit there, along with a broad, sweeping ‘brim’ surrounding it.
A closer look at the bulge reveals that it is not one massive cluster but actually made up of several distinct clusters of stars. The brim is equally perplexing: Its complex structure is one of those mysterious phenomena that have scientists scratching their heads. The formation of such rings remains an enigma. It's also highly probable that a gigantic black hole lies at the core of the Sombrero Galaxy.
6. Centaurus A
At first glance, Centaurus A might seem like an ordinary galaxy, but a closer inspection reveals something unusual. This galaxy is massive by typical standards, and large galaxies usually fall into one of two categories: spiral or elliptical. However, when astronomers used radio imaging to look through the dense dust, they discovered a hidden spiral. This is strange, as galaxies typically fit into one category or the other. Centaurus A is the only elliptical galaxy known to feature spiral arms. The prevailing theory is that it absorbed a spiral galaxy millions of years ago, though mergers like this typically don’t preserve the spiral structure, leaving us with a mystery.
5. The Southern Pinwheel
Situated in the Hydra constellation, the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, also known as M83, is one of the most brilliant galaxies in our night sky. Discovered around 250 years ago, it was initially mistaken for a gas cloud until we were able to observe it more closely. The galaxy’s most striking feature is its vibrant pink and purple whirlpool, along with frequent supernova explosions. Currently, there are eight active supernovas observed in the galaxy, with remnants of hundreds more. The pink hue comes from newly formed stars emitting massive amounts of UV energy, which is absorbed by surrounding gas and dust, giving it that characteristic color. While calling it the most beautiful galaxy might be a matter of personal preference, it certainly resembles a massive cosmic flower, so you can decide for yourself.
4. NGC 474
NGC 474 doesn’t resemble a typical galaxy; instead, it looks more like one of those bizarre, glowing fish found in the dark depths of the ocean. Astronomers aren’t entirely sure what’s causing this galaxy to emit such an extraordinary amount of energy, but two theories stand out. One possibility is that the outer shells are the remnants of smaller galaxies absorbed by NGC 474. Alternatively, they could be the result of tidal interactions with a galaxy behind it, as the two are in the midst of a collision. These strange outer shells have helped us realize that most galaxies have irregular halos, a product of recent (on a cosmic scale) galactic collisions.
3. The Black Eye Galaxy
Can a galaxy actually look menacing? If so, this one could be the origin of those terrifying alien invaders in The Avengers. The Black Eye Galaxy (also known as M64 or the Sleeping Beauty Galaxy) is a place of constant creation, as indicated by its red hues. The color red is a sign of a wealth of hydrogen, which suggests that new stars are being born here.
In an odd twist, the stars and gas in the galaxy's red region all rotate in one direction, while the enormous cloud of gas and dust surrounding it rotates in the opposite direction. While this is quite peculiar, it can likely be explained by the same process that causes other galactic anomalies—it’s probably the result of two galaxies merging.
2. The Porpoise Galaxy
At first glance, the Porpoise Galaxy, also known as NGC 2936, clearly earns its name. It bears a striking resemblance to a dolphin, though some might argue it looks more like a penguin guarding an egg. In actuality, this is a system of two galaxies: the 'dolphin' is part of NGC 2936, while the 'egg' is known as Arp 142.
The 'dolphin' portion was once a spiral galaxy like our Milky Way, but the powerful gravitational pull of the denser galaxy below has distorted its shape considerably. The 'eye' of the dolphin is what used to be the core of the spiral galaxy. Situated in the Hydra constellation, these two galaxies will eventually merge into one within about a billion years. For now, we can simply appreciate the cosmic spectacle, which resembles a clown twisting balloon animals in space.
1. NGC 660
NGC 660 is an unusual galaxy classified as a polar ring galaxy. Just how rare is it? So rare that we’ve discovered only about a dozen of these galaxies, even after capturing a single image that shows approximately 10,000 galaxies. What sets these galaxies apart is their ring structure, which includes stars, dust, debris, and other galactic materials that orbit almost perpendicular to the galaxy's main disk. Where did this material originate? It likely came from a nearby galaxy that passed by long ago, proving that the universe is a lot like The Road Warrior. The ring extends further than the galaxy’s disk, and astronomers are now carefully observing how dark matter’s gravitational influence shapes the disk, hoping to unlock more secrets about dark matter.
