NGC 5 facts for kids
NGC 5 is a type of galaxy called an elliptical galaxy. You can find it in the Andromeda constellation, which is a group of stars that look like a pattern in the night sky.
What is NGC 5?
NGC 5 is a galaxy that looks like a stretched-out ball or an oval. It is part of the New General Catalogue (NGC). This catalogue is a list of many different deep-sky objects, like galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae. Scientists use these numbers to easily identify and study them.
What is a Galaxy?
A galaxy is a huge group of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter. Everything in a galaxy is held together by gravity. Our own solar system, including Earth, is part of a galaxy called the Milky Way. Galaxies come in many shapes and sizes.
Elliptical Galaxies
Elliptical galaxies, like NGC 5, are one of the main types of galaxies. They are usually round or oval-shaped, like a football or an egg. They have very little gas and dust, so new stars don't form there very often. Most of the stars in elliptical galaxies are older stars. This is different from spiral galaxies, which have arms that spin around a center.
The Andromeda Constellation
NGC 5 is found in the Andromeda constellation. A constellation is a group of stars that seem to form a picture in the sky. The Andromeda constellation is named after a princess in ancient Greek myths. It is best seen in the Northern Hemisphere during autumn evenings. The most famous object in this constellation is the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), which is the closest large galaxy to our Milky Way.
