Galaxies are often classified into four groups: spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, irregular galaxies and peculiar galaxies.
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Elliptical Galaxy:Flat distinctive look rather like a fried egg. Most matter is concentrated in the center or nucleus of the galaxy which is surrounded by a disk of material |
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Spiral Galaxy:Similar in shape to that of an elliptical galaxy only the disk has distinctive spiral arms like a Catherine Wheel firework.
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Irregular Galaxy:Image of the one of the Milky Way's orbital galaxies often called the large magellanic Clouds. Irregular galaxies have no real shape and no clear nucleus
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Peculiar Galaxy:Although peculiar galaxies have a clear nucleus and distinctive shape it is not recognisable as a regular spiral or elliptical galaxy. It is thought that many peculiar galaxies are the result of two galaxies colliding together |
Many sub-categories are also used.
Unlike the stars where one type of star will progress through different types of stars during its life cycle, a similar cycle does not appear to occur in galaxies.
