Spiral Galaxies

Galaxies come in a variety of shapes, with the shapes depending in a way not yet completely understood on the evolution of the galaxies. Probably the most beautiful shapes belong to the various kinds of spiral galaxies. More than half of all observed galaxies are spiral galaxies.

Examples of Spiral Galaxies

The figure on the right shows the spiral galaxy NGC 6070 in the constellation Serpens, which lies at a distance of about 100 million light years. The fuzzy patches in the image are other galaxies; the sharper points of light are much more nearby stars in our own galaxy.