NGC 720 facts for kids
NGC 720 is a cool elliptical galaxy found in the Cetus constellation. It's super far away from our own Milky Way galaxy, about 78 million light-years distant. That means the light we see from NGC 720 today actually left the galaxy 78 million years ago!
Contents
What is a Galaxy?
A galaxy is like a giant island in space, packed with billions of stars, gas, dust, and something mysterious called dark matter. Everything in a galaxy is held together by gravity, making it spin slowly through the universe. Our Sun is just one star in our home galaxy, the Milky Way.
Discovering NGC 720
This amazing galaxy was first spotted by a famous astronomer named William Herschel. He discovered NGC 720 way back in 1785. Imagine looking through a telescope and finding a whole new galaxy!
Elliptical Galaxies: What Are They Like?
NGC 720 is an elliptical galaxy. This means it has a smooth, oval shape, a bit like a squashed ball or an egg. Unlike spiral galaxies, which have swirling arms, elliptical galaxies don't have much gas or dust. This means they usually don't form many new stars. Instead, they are often filled with older, redder stars.
Where is Cetus?
The Cetus constellation is where you can find NGC 720. Cetus is named after a sea monster from ancient Greek stories. It's a large constellation in the night sky, but you might need a telescope to spot galaxies like NGC 720 within it.
Images for kids
-
Pan-STARRS image of NGC 720, showing more detail.
