What type of galaxy is the M74?
grand-design spiral galaxy
M74 is a perfect example of a grand-design spiral galaxy. Symmetrical spiral arms reach out from the galaxy’s central nucleus and are traced by winding dust lanes.
What is M74 in space?
Messier 74 (also known as NGC 628 and Phantom Galaxy) is a large spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation Pisces. It is about 32 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy contains two clearly defined spiral arms and is therefore used as an archetypal example of a grand design spiral galaxy.
Why is M74 called the Phantom galaxy?
In photographs, Messier 74 has some similarities with Messier 33 (The Triangulum galaxy). Both have very bright stars in their spiral arms. The Phantom galaxy can be very difficult to observe, as it has the 2nd lowest surface brightness of all the ones in the Messier catalog, hence its name: The Phantom.
What type of galaxy is the whirlpool galaxy?
spiral galaxy
The graceful, winding arms of the majestic spiral galaxy M51 appear like a grand spiral staircase sweeping through space. They are actually long lanes of stars and gas laced with dust. Such striking arms are a hallmark of so-called grand-design spiral galaxies.
What describes an elliptical galaxy?
Elliptical galaxies lack the swirling arms of their more well-known siblings, spiral galaxies. Instead, they bear the rounded shape of an ellipse, a stretched-out circle.
What type of galaxy is the Pinwheel Galaxy?
face-on spiral galaxy
The Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as Messier 101, M101 or NGC 5457) is a face-on spiral galaxy 21 million light-years (6.4 megaparsecs) away from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major.
How do you classify elliptical galaxies?
Classification and characteristics Under this organization, elliptical galaxies are classified by how stretched out they are. Galaxies classified as E0 appear to be almost perfect circles (remember, a circle is an ellipse), while those listed as E7 seem much longer than they are wide.
Is the Milky Way an elliptical galaxy?
Our Milky Way, like other spiral galaxies, has a linear, starry bar at its center. Elliptical galaxies are shaped as their name suggests: They are generally round but can stretch longer along one axis than along the other, so much so that some take on a cigar-like appearance.
Which type of galaxy is lenticular?
A lenticular galaxy (denoted S0) is a type of galaxy intermediate between an elliptical (denoted E) and a spiral galaxy in galaxy morphological classification schemes. It contains a large-scale disc but does not have large-scale spiral arms.
What kind of galaxy is the Cigar Galaxy?
starburst galaxy
Messier 82 (also known as NGC 3034, Cigar Galaxy or M82) is a starburst galaxy approximately 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. A member of the M81 Group, it is about five times more luminous than the Milky Way and has a center one hundred times more luminous.
What type of galaxy is M102?
lenticular galaxy
Messier 102 (M102), also known as the Spindle Galaxy, is an edge-on lenticular galaxy located in the northern constellation Draco. The galaxy lies at a distance of 50 million light years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 10.7.
What type of galaxy is m81?
grand design spiral galaxy
Messier 81 (also known as NGC 3031 or Bode’s Galaxy) is a grand design spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away, with a diameter of 90,000 light years, in the constellation Ursa Major.
What does M74 stand for?
Messier 74 (M74), nicknamed the Phantom Galaxy, is a grand design spiral galaxy located in the constellation Pisces.
What does M74 look like through a telescope?
With an apparent magnitude of only 10, the galaxy appears as a faint patch of light through small telescopes. It is best observed during November. M74 is a perfect example of a grand-design spiral galaxy. Symmetrical spiral arms reach out from the galaxy’s central nucleus and are traced by winding dust lanes.
What type of galaxy is Messier 74?
Jump to navigation Jump to search. Messier 74 (also known as NGC 628 and Phantom Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces. It is at a distance of about 32 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy contains two clearly defined spiral arms and is therefore used as an archetypal example of a grand design spiral galaxy.
Why is the galaxy M74 so famous?
Its relatively large angular (that is, apparent) size and the galaxy’s face-on orientation make it an ideal object for professional astronomers who want to study spiral arm structure and spiral density waves. It is estimated that M74 hosts about 100 billion stars. M74 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780.