Lenticular galaxy facts for kids
A lenticular galaxy is a type of irregular galaxy. These galaxies have an elliptical shape and ill-defined spiral arms. Basically, they are a combinations of spiral and elliptical galaxies. Examples include the Cartwheel galaxy and NGC 4479.
Images for kids
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The Spindle Galaxy (NGC 5866), a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Draco. This image shows that lenticular galaxies may retain a considerable amount of dust in their disk. There is little to no gas and thus they are considered deficient in interstellar matter.
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NGC 2787 is an example of a lenticular galaxy with visible dust absorption. While this galaxy has been classified as an S0 galaxy, one can see the difficulty in differentiating among spirals, ellipticals, and lenticulars. Credit: HST
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Lenticular galaxy NGC 5308 is located just under 100 million light-years away in the constellation of Ursa Major.
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NGC 4111 is a lenticular galaxy, lying about 50 million light-years away in the constellation of Canes Venatici.
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Messier 84 is a lenticular galaxy also known for its supernovae.
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NGC 6861 is a lenticular galaxy discovered in 1826 by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop.
See also
In Spanish: Galaxia lenticular para niños