Which type of star is common in the spiral arms of our galaxy, and found almost nowhere else?
Which type of star is common in the spiral arms of our galaxy, and found almost nowhere else? Spiral galaxies are twisted clusters of stars and gas that frequently have beautiful shapes and are made up of hot newborn stars. Spiral galaxies can be found throughout the universe. In contrast to the other two primary groups of galaxy shapes, which are elliptical and irregular, the vast majority of the galaxies that scientists have found up to this point are spiral galaxies.
A good example of a spiral galaxy is the Milky Way, which is the part of the universe that contains both Earth and our solar system.
According to a scan that was conducted using the Hubble Space Telescope in 2010, spiral galaxies make up approximately 72 percent of the total galaxies that scientists have spotted.
Which type of star is common in the spiral arms of our galaxy, and found almost nowhere else?
The majority of spiral galaxies have a central bulge that is surrounded by a disc of stars that is flat and rotates. It is believed that an extremely huge black hole is hiding inside the central bulge, which is made up of stars that have lived longer but shined less brightly. The Milky Way is similar to approximately two-thirds of all spiral galaxies in that they both have a bar structure running through their centers.
The disc of stars that orbits the bulge eventually splits up into arms that go all the way around the galaxy. These spiral arms contain a lot of gas and dust, as well as younger stars that are shining brightly before their swift demise.
The formation of the spiral arms is still a mystery to scientific researchers. According to one hypothesis, the galaxy arms could have formed as a consequence of density waves that moved through the galaxy’s outer disc. Galaxy collisions have the potential to trigger a variety of waves, one of which is the potential for the mass of the smaller galaxy to influence the structure of the larger galaxy when the two galaxies unite.
It is generally believed that spiral galaxies will eventually transform into elliptical galaxies as the spirals age. However, the frequency of elliptical galaxies is unknown because they are comprised of older, dimmer stars and are more difficult to find than other types of galaxies.
NGC 6872 is one of the largest spiral galaxies that is currently known to exist. It measures 522,000 light-years across from the points of its extended spiral arms, which is approximately five times the size of our own Milky Way galaxy.
Astronomers made the discovery in 2017 of an ancient spiral galaxy known as A1689B11 which is estimated to be 11 billion years old. Because of its discovery, scientists will have a better understanding of how galaxies change from having “very chaotic, turbulent discs” to discs that are more ordered and thinner, like the Milky Way’s.
The term “spiral galaxy” refers to the variety of galaxies that is the most prevalent. Spiral galaxies, as their name implies, have the appearance of spirals, with their long arms spiraling toward a brilliant bulge in the center of the galaxy. Caution is advised, though, because if you viewed a spiral galaxy from the side, it might appear to have the shape of a circle. In this case, you would need to rely on other characteristics to determine that the galaxy was spiral-shaped.
If it is possible to make out the spiral pattern, astronomers refer to the galaxy as having a “face-on spiral.” An “edge-on spiral” is the term used to describe the appearance of the galaxy when viewed from the side. You can identify edge-on spiral galaxies by the strong central bulges that may be seen in the center of the galaxy. Spiral galaxies seen from the face-on and edge-on perspectives are virtually identical; the only thing that makes them appear distinct is the angle at which they are viewed.
When compared to the arms of other spiral galaxies, the arms of some spiral galaxies are twisted very tightly, while the arms of other spiral galaxies are wound quite loosely. The distinction between spirals that are tightly wound and spirals that are loosely wound is a real difference between the galaxies, and it can be utilized to classify spirals.
Spiral galaxies make up around 77 percent of the total number of galaxies that have been spotted in the universe. The Milky Way, the galaxy in which we find ourselves, is an example of a typical spiral galaxy. The photographs that follow provide three further illustrations of good examples.
A prominent line or bar can be seen running across the middle of certain spiral galaxies. These types of galaxies are referred to as “barred spiral galaxies.” The illustration that may be seen below depicts a barred spiral galaxy. Spiral galaxies are the common name for galaxies that do not contain a bar.
Another way to categorize spiral galaxies is according to the degree to which their spiral arms are wrapped tightly. A galaxy with highly tightly wound arms, such as the galaxy on the left in the list above, would be referred to as a “type a” galaxy. A galaxy classified as a “type b” has arms that are less tightly wrapped. The arms of a “type c” galaxy, like the one in the center of the image above, are relatively loosely wrapped. What do you believe the type of the barred spiral that is located to the right would be?
The spiral arms of a galaxy contain a great deal of gas and dust, and they are frequently locations at which new stars are continually being created. Old, red stars predominate in the galaxy’s bulge, which is characteristic of spiral galaxies. The bulge contributes very little to the process of star creation.
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