Image of the Day: Strange Rectangular Galaxy Found

 

          

An international team of astronomers discovered a rectangular‑shaped galaxy within a group of 250 galaxies some 70 million light years away. “In the Universe around us, most galaxies exist in one of three forms: spheroidal, disc-like, or lumpy and irregular in appearance,” said Alister Graham from Swinburne University of Technology. He said the rare rectangular-shaped galaxy was a very unusual object.

“It's one of those things that just makes you smile because it shouldn't exist, or rather you don't expect it to exist. It’s a little like the precarious Leaning Tower of Pisa or the discovery of some exotic new species which at first glance appears to defy the laws of nature.”

The unusually shaped galaxy was detected in a wide field-of-view image taken with the Japanese Subaru Telescope for an unrelated program by Swinburne astrophysicist Dr Lee Spitler.The astronomers suspect it is unlikely that this galaxy is shaped like a cube. Instead, they believe that it may resemble an inflated disc seen side on, like a short cylinder.

Support for this scenario comes from observations with the giant Keck Telescope in Hawaii, which revealed a rapidly spinning, thin disc with a side‑on orientation lurking at the centre of the galaxy. The outermost measured edge of this galactic disc is rotating at a speed in excess of 100,000 kilometres per hour.

“One possibility is that the galaxy may have formed out of the collision of two spiral galaxies,” said Swinburne’s Professor Duncan Forbes, co‑author of the research. “While the pre-existing stars from the initial galaxies were strewn to large orbits creating the emerald cut shape, the gas sank to the mid‑plane where it condensed to form new stars and the disc that we have observed.”

Despite its apparent uniqueness, partly due to its chance orientation, the astronomers have managed to glean useful information for modelling other galaxies.While the outer boxy shape is somewhat reminiscent of galaxy merger simulations which don’t involve the production of new stars, the disc-like structure is comparable with merger simulations involving star formation.

“This highlights the importance of combining lessons learned from both types of past simulation for better understanding galaxy evolution in the future,” said Associate Professor Graham.“One of the reasons this emerald cut galaxy was hard to find is due to its dwarf-like status: it has 50 times less stars than our own Milky Way galaxy, plus its distance from us is equivalent to that spanned by 700 Milky Way galaxies placed end-to-end.

“Curiously, if the orientation was just right, when our own disc-shaped galaxy collides with the disc-shaped Andromeda galaxy about three billion years from now we may find ourselves the inhabitants of a square looking galaxy.”

The Daily Galaxy via Swinburne University of Technology

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Comments

[smartypants]

Silly international team of astronomers
If just ONE of them had been a redneck they would of recognized the alien NASCAR track.

[Ivar Nielsen]

Maybe there is a quadrupole magnetic field in this galaxy?

Read more here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrupole

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:QuadrupoleContour.jpg

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/magnetic/magquad.html

[Ruth Mc]

Old news mate. Editor's Note: Ruth, It's not mean't to be news; it's an interesting image for the day.

[james]

In terms of simple geometries of impact, the "two-spiral galaxy collision" theory works. A rapid collision between two slow spinning spiral galaxies with massive arms radiating symmetrically would result in a momentary smear through their centers, elongating their diameter. Truncation of the leading edges of the circular spiral galaxies as they become slowed by the heavier galactic center behind them would flatten the edge along the collision plane. Spiral galaxies are also sparse between the arms, reinforcing the shape of a rectangular galaxy. We are truly blessed to see such a perfect cosmic duet with such surprising results. How many beings in the universe will ever witness a rectangular galaxy? ...even if just through a photo on the internet.

[smartypants]

Ruth
Also there are people new to this site everyday. It could be new to them. Oh yea, almost forgot, NYAA NYAA Ruth got lectured!!

[MandoZink]

Months old photo of LEDA 074886, spotted near the edge of the elliptical galaxy NGC 1407. It's a side-on view of an apparent merger of two spiral galaxies. Their stars are now distributed such that the galaxy forms a short cylindrical shape - for now.

[Hey]

Please please please call this the Donut Galaxy.

[Ivar Nielsen]

In a supposed still expanding - and still faster - universe accordingly to the Big Bang ideas, it should not be possible for galaxies to merge at all.

[rayon]

"50 times less" ... hmmm. In any case, 42.

[Ruth Mc]

Cheers MZ!

[Holo]

The scientists explanation is wrong. Alignment and orientation models galaxy types. NASA has said that blazers, quasars, spirals, are the same phenomena dependent upon viewing direction angles. See photos of the red rectangle nebula, red square nebula, pinwheel galaxy that is like our own galaxy with square shaped not spiral arms, at the Holographicgalaxy.blogspot.com
The story is called "Rectangular Geometric galaxies Reveals the Sacred EM Golden Mean Phi."

[Ruth Mc]

Can't believe it..Finally got a rise out of JJJ (Ed) Wasn't for lack of trying! Oh and SP, you are magnificent when you gloat.

[smartypants]

;)