3 TYPES OF GALAXIES
SPIRAL
ELLIPTICAL
IRREGULAR
Irregular galaxies consist of gas and dust.
They are among the smallest galaxies.
Irregular galaxies have no distinct shape and contain both old and new stars.
Elliptical galaxies, having no structure have a mixture of Population I and II stars.
Elliptical galaxies are relatively rare and contains only one fifth of the galaxy population.
Spiral galaxies are the most common type of galaxies.
Spiral galaxies also contain three quarters of all the galaxy population. : :
Spiral galaxies contain a central disk surrounded by spiraling arms and control new stars.
The larger a given galaxy is, the faster it spins
The disk, bulge, halo, and the signature arms are the 4 key components of a spiral galaxy.
Irregular galaxies are thought to have once been elliptical or spiral galaxies that lost their shape.
Every irregular galaxy is located in the Southern Hemisphere
Large elliptical galaxies contain up to 104 times more habitable planets than the Milky Way.
Elliptical galaxies are between 7 and 10 billion years old.
Elliptical galaxies have a broader range in size than other types of galaxies.
SIMILARITIES
All galaxies are formed in the same manner through gravitational forces.
Elliptical, spiral, and irregular galaxies all form a mixture of stars, interstellar dust, planets, and gases.
all bound together by the force due to gravity
Almost all distant stars orbit at about the same speed as stars located about 30,000 light-years from their centers.