Table of Contents
Why is the Galaxy flat and not spherical?
The reason many galaxies are flat is because of the conservation of angular momentum. When objects revolve around the center of gravity, they have angular momentum. Given enough time, a rotating body of stars may flatten into an overall disk shape.
Is the Galaxy spherical?
The Spherical Structure at the Core of the Milky Way Formed in a Single Burst of Star Formation. Like other spiral galaxies, the Milky Way has a bulging sphere of stars in its center. It’s called “The Bulge,” and it’s roughly 10,000 light-years in radius. We know that the Milky Way is a rotating disk with spiral arms.
How galaxies are held together?
A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems, all held together by gravity. A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems. A galaxy is held together by gravity.
Are all galaxies flat?
It is not true that all galaxies are flat. Spiral galaxies appear flat, but there are other types, elliptical galaxies I believe are not flat. Any cloud of gas swirling around in space will have a tendency to flatten out to a disk.
What is a warped galaxy?
It is a spiral galaxy just like the Milky Way, but not so flat from a side view. Credit: NASA. Because Earth is stuck deep in the warp, Cheng and his team needed to make out what the shape of the twisted disc of the Milky Way looks like around us.
Why are most galaxies spherical in shape?
These galaxies are roughly spherical because the stars move in orbits with quite random orientations, many on almost radial orbits with no strongly preferred axes. The velocity dispersion is usually much bigger than any signature of rotation. The hack this influencer used to break the private jet industry.
What is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy?
Dwarf spheroidal galaxies may actually be the most common type of galaxy in the universe. These galaxies are roughly spherical because the stars move in orbits with quite random orientations, many on almost radial (highly eccentric) orbits with no strongly preferred axes. The velocity dispersion is usually much bigger than any rotation signature.
Why don’t galaxies have a plane of rotation?
As Rob Jeffries pointed out, there are galaxies that are of spherical and other three-dimensional shapes. There, however, since there is no pre-existing plane of rotation, nothing is causing the matter to collapse into a plane. Therefore, those galaxies retain their three-dimensional shape. This whole question is a mistaken premise.
What is the most common type of galaxy in the universe?
Dwarf spheroidal galaxies may actually be the most common type of galaxy in the universe. These galaxies are roughly spherical because the stars move in orbits with quite random orientations, many on almost radial (highly eccentric) orbits with no strongly preferred axes.