#spindle galaxy

[spacewonder19]

M102: Edge-on Disk Galaxy

[quiltofstars]

The Spindle Galaxy, M102 // Tobiasz

[nelc]

Messier M102, the Spindle Galaxy

[zespaceblog]

Messier Object

M102 - Spindle Galaxy

We view the Spindle galaxy edge on, and that makes being certain about the type of galaxy quite difficult. Some catalogues describe it as a lenticular galaxy, but most lenticular galaxies have very low dust and gas levels and would be very rare to find such a striking cloud. A Spiral galaxy however would very normally have such a structure, and would have more star formation, so it’s quite possible this is a spiral galaxy but edge on.

The Spindle galaxy is 44 million light years away in the constellation of Draco, and is member of a small group, of which it is the largest.

[fishstickmonkey]

M102, NGC5866

M102 is really the only controversial entry in Messier's catalogue. Some have concluded it was an erroneous duplicate observation of M101, a conclusion which Messier's friend and fellow observer Mechain stated some years after his original discovery. However, a number of cogent arguments suggest that both men actually observed the Spindle Galaxy, NGC5866 in the constellation Draco, and it is this galaxy which is shown here. It is a lenticular galaxy of type S0 (essentially a spiral galaxy without the spiral structure). This picture was created from observations with the T2KA CCD camera at the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 0.9-meter telescope in March of 1995.

credit line: NOAO/AURA/NSF

NOAO

[quiltofstars]

The Spindle Galaxy, C53 // Brian Valente

The Spindle Galaxy is probably most notable for the supermassive black hole that lurks at its center. One of the ways astronomers are able to estimate the mass of a black hole is by observing the temperature of hot gas being dragged towards it. Using this method, NASA astronomers estimate that the black hole in this galaxy is about two billion times the mass of our Sun. That means that the Spindle Galaxy hosts the nearest billion-solar-mass black hole to Earth!

[quiltofstars]

The Spindle Galaxy, M102 // Pedro Sánchez

[quiltofstars]

The Spindle Galaxy, C53 // AdrianoMSilva

Often confused with another Spindle Galaxy (M102), this Spindle Galaxy (NGC 3115) is a lenticular galaxy. These are intermediates between the more familiar spiral and elliptical galaxies that lack spiral arms but do feature a central bulge and disk.

Appearing edge-on to us, this galaxy is located about 32 million light years away in the constellation of Sextans, the Sextant. Discovered by William Herschel (1738-1822) in 1787, it is best observed in the spring by northern hemisphere observers.