The nucleus is an extremely small region at the center of a galaxy. When it comes to the nuclei of galaxies, they most often talk about active galactic nuclei, where the processes cannot be explained by the properties of the stars concentrated in them.

The disk is a relatively thin layer in which most of the objects in the galaxy are concentrated. It is subdivided into a gas and dust disk and a stellar disk. galaxy core interstellar gravitational

Bulge (English bulge - swelling) - the brightest inner part spheroidal component.

Halo is the outer spheroidal component. The boundary between the bulge and the halo is blurred and rather arbitrary.

Other possible elements.

The polar ring is a rare component. In the classical case, a polar ring galaxy has two disks rotating in perpendicular planes. The centers of these disks in the classical case coincide. The reason for the formation of polar rings is not completely clear.

The spheroidal component is a sphere-like distribution of stars.

Spiral branch (spiral arm) - a seal of interstellar gas and mostly young stars in the form of a spiral. Most likely, they are density waves caused by various reasons, but the question of their origin has not yet been finally resolved.

Bar (jumper) - looks like a dense elongated formation, consisting of stars and interstellar gas. According to calculations, the main supplier of interstellar gas to the center of the galaxy. However, almost all theoretical constructions are based on the fact that the thickness of the disk is much less than its dimensions, in other words, the disk is flat, and almost all models are simplified two-dimensional models, there are very few calculations of three-dimensional disk models. And there is only one three-dimensional calculation of a galaxy with a bar and gas in the known literature. According to the author of this calculation, the gas does not enter the center of the galaxy, but travels quite far.

Evolution of galaxies

The evolution of the galaxy is the change in its integral characteristics over time: spectrum, color, chemical composition, velocity fields. It is not easy to describe the life of a galaxy: the evolution of a galaxy is influenced not only by the evolution of its individual parts, but also by its external environment. Briefly, the processes influencing the evolution of the galaxy can be represented by the following scheme.

Evolution proceeds years faster with protogalactic contraction, large merging (merger of galaxies), pressure of hot intergalactic gas.

Evolution proceeds more slowly for years with the duration of accretion on the disk, small merger, tidal interaction of galaxies. And also if evolution is caused by bar instability, dark halo, black hole, spiral arms, galactic winds and fountains.

During evolutionary development, other processes important for the galaxy arise: star formation, metal enrichment, feedback through supernovae and active nuclei, gas renewal.

A galaxy is a large formation of stars, gas, dust, which are held together by the force of gravity. These largest compounds in the universe can vary in shape and size. Most of the space objects are part of a particular galaxy. These are stars, planets, satellites, nebulae, black holes and asteroids. Some of the galaxies have a lot of invisible dark energy. Due to the fact that the galaxies are separated by empty outer space, they are figuratively called oases in the cosmic desert.

	elliptical galaxy	spiral galaxy	wrong galaxy
spheroidal component	entire galaxy	There is	Very weak
stellar disk	No or weak	Main component	Main component
Gas and dust disk	Not	There is	There is
spiral branches	None or only near the core	There is	Not
Active cores	Meet	Meet	Not
	20%	55%	5%

Our galaxy

Our closest star, the Sun, is one of the billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Looking at the night starry sky, it is hard not to notice a wide band strewn with stars. The ancient Greeks called the cluster of these stars the Galaxy.

If we had the opportunity to look at this star system from the outside, we would have noticed an oblate ball, in which there are over 150 billion stars. Our galaxy has dimensions that are hard to imagine in your imagination. A beam of light travels from one side of it to the other for a hundred thousand Earth years! The center of our Galaxy is occupied by the core, from which huge spiral branches filled with stars depart. The distance from the Sun to the nucleus of the Galaxy is 30,000 light years. solar system located on the outskirts of the Milky Way.

Stars in the Galaxy, despite the huge accumulation of cosmic bodies, are rare. For example, the distance between the nearest stars is tens of millions of times greater than their diameters. It cannot be said that the stars are scattered randomly in the Universe. Their location depends on the forces of gravity that hold heavenly body in a certain plane. Star systems with their gravitational fields and are called galaxies. In addition to stars, the composition of the galaxy includes gas and interstellar dust.

composition of galaxies.

The universe is also made up of many other galaxies. The closest to us are distant at a distance of 150 thousand light years. They can be seen in the sky of the southern hemisphere in the form of small hazy specks. They were first described by a member of the Magellanic expedition around the world of Pigafett. They entered science under the name of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.

The closest galaxy to us is the Andromeda Nebula. It has a very large size, so it is visible from the Earth with ordinary binoculars, and in clear weather - even with the naked eye.

The very structure of the galaxy resembles a giant spiral convex in space. On one of the spiral arms, ¾ of the distance from the center, is the solar system. Everything in the galaxy revolves around the central core and obeys the force of its gravity. In 1962, astronomer Edwin Hubble classified galaxies according to their shape. The scientist divided all galaxies into elliptical, spiral, irregular and barred galaxies.

There are billions of galaxies in the part of the Universe available for astronomical research. Collectively, astronomers call them the Metagalaxy.

Galaxies of the Universe

Galaxies are represented by large groupings of stars, gas, dust, held together by gravity. They can vary greatly in shape and size. Most space objects belong to a galaxy. These are black holes, asteroids, stars with satellites and planets, nebulae, neutron satellites.

Most of the galaxies in the universe include great amount invisible dark energy. Since the space between different galaxies is considered empty, they are often called oases in the void of space. For example, a star called the Sun is one of the billions of stars in the "Milky Way" galaxy in our universe. At ¾ of the distance from the center of this spiral is the solar system. In this galaxy, everything is constantly moving around the central core, which obeys its gravity. However, the core also moves along with the galaxy. At the same time, all galaxies move at superspeeds.
Astronomer Edwin Hubble in 1962 carried out a logical classification of the galaxies of the universe, taking into account their shape. Now galaxies are divided into 4 main groups: elliptical, spiral, galaxies with a bar (bar) and irregular.
What is the largest galaxy in our universe?
The largest galaxy in the universe is the super-giant lenticular galaxy in the Abell 2029 cluster.

spiral galaxies

They are galaxies that in their shape resemble a flat spiral disk with a bright center (core). The Milky Way is a typical spiral galaxy. Spiral galaxies are usually called with the letter S, they are divided into 4 subgroups: Sa, So, Sc and Sb. Galaxies belonging to the So group are distinguished by bright nuclei that do not have spiral arms. As for the Sa galaxies, they are distinguished by dense spiral arms tightly wrapped around the central core. The arms of the Sc and Sb galaxies rarely surround the core.

Spiral galaxies in the Messier catalog

barred galaxies

Barred galaxies are similar to spiral galaxies, but still have one difference. In such galaxies, spirals do not start from the core, but from the bridges. About 1/3 of all galaxies fall into this category. They are usually denoted by the letters SB. In turn, they are divided into 3 subgroups Sbc, SBb, SBa. The difference between these three groups is determined by the shape and length of the bridges, from where, in fact, the arms of the spirals begin.

Messier barred spiral galaxies

elliptical galaxies

The shape of galaxies can vary from perfectly round to elongated ovals. Their distinguishing feature is the absence of a central bright core. They are designated by the letter E and are divided into 6 subgroups (by shape). Such forms are designated from E0 to E7. The former are almost round in shape, while the E7 are characterized by an extremely elongated shape.

Elliptical galaxies in the Messier catalog

Irregular galaxies

They do not have any pronounced structure or shape. Irregular galaxies are usually divided into 2 classes: IO and Im. The most common is the Im class of galaxies (it has only a slight hint of structure). In some cases, spiral remnants are traced. IO belongs to a class of galaxies that are chaotic in shape. Small and Large Magellanic Clouds - a prime example I'm class.

Messier catalog irregular galaxies

Table of characteristics of the main types of galaxies

	elliptical galaxy	spiral galaxy	wrong galaxy
spheroidal component	entire galaxy	There is	Very weak
stellar disk	No or weak	Main component	Main component
Gas and dust disk	Not	There is	There is
spiral branches	None or only near the core	There is	Not
Active cores	Meet	Meet	No
Percentage of total number galaxies	20%	55%	5%

Large portrait of galaxies

Not so long ago, astronomers began working on a collaborative project to determine the location of galaxies throughout the universe. Their task is to get a more detailed picture of the general structure and shape of the universe on a large scale. Unfortunately, the scale of the universe is difficult to estimate for understanding by many people. Take at least our galaxy, consisting of more than a hundred billion stars. There are billions more galaxies in the universe. Distant galaxies have been discovered, but we see their light as it was almost 9 billion years ago (we are separated by such a large distance).

Astronomers became aware that most galaxies belonged to a particular group (it became known as a "cluster"). The Milky Way is part of a cluster, which, in turn, consists of forty known galaxies. As a rule, most of these clusters are part of an even larger grouping, which is called superclusters.

Our cluster is part of a supercluster commonly referred to as the Virgo Cluster. Such a massive cluster consists of more than 2 thousand galaxies. At the same time that astronomers mapped the location of these galaxies, superclusters began to take shape. Large superclusters have gathered around what appear to be gigantic bubbles or voids. What kind of structure this is, no one knows yet. We do not understand what can be inside these voids. By assumption, they can be filled with a certain type of dark matter unknown to scientists, or they can have empty space inside. It will be a long time before we know the nature of such voids.

Galactic Computing

Edwin Hubble is the founder of galactic research. He is the first to figure out how to calculate the exact distance to a galaxy. In his research, he relied on the method of pulsating stars, which are better known as Cepheids. The scientist was able to notice the relationship between the period that is needed to complete one pulsation of brightness, and the energy that the star releases. The results of his research were a major breakthrough in the field of galactic research. In addition, he found that there is a correlation between the red spectrum emitted by a galaxy and its distance (the Hubble constant).

Nowadays, astronomers can measure the distance and speed of a galaxy by measuring the amount of redshift in the spectrum. It is known that all galaxies of the Universe move from each other. The further the galaxy is from the Earth, the greater its speed of movement.

To visualize this theory, it is enough to imagine yourself driving a car that moves at a speed of 50 km per hour. A car in front of you is driving faster at 50 km per hour, which indicates that the speed of its movement is 100 km per hour. There is another car in front of him, which is moving faster by another 50 km per hour. Even though the speed of all 3 cars will be 50 km/h different, the first car is actually moving away from you 100 km/h faster. Since the red spectrum indicates the speed of the galaxy moving away from us, the following is obtained: the greater the redshift, the faster the galaxy moves, respectively, and the greater its distance from us.

Now we have new tools to help scientists in their search for new galaxies. Thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists have been able to see what they could only dream of before. The high power of this telescope provides good visibility of even small details in nearby galaxies and allows you to study more distant ones that have not yet been known to anyone. Currently, new tools for space observation are under development, and in the near future they will help to gain a deeper understanding of the structure of the universe.

Types of galaxies

• spiral galaxies. In shape, they resemble a flat spiral disk with a pronounced center, the so-called core. Our Milky Way galaxy belongs to this category. In this section of the portal site you will find many different articles describing the space objects of our Galaxy.
• Barred galaxies. They resemble spiral ones, only they differ from them in one significant difference. Spirals do not depart from the core, but from the so-called jumpers. This category includes a third of all galaxies in the universe.
• Elliptical galaxies come in a variety of shapes, from perfectly round to oval-shaped. Compared to spiral ones, they lack a central, pronounced core.
• Irregular galaxies do not have a characteristic shape or structure. They cannot be attributed to any of the above types. There are far fewer irregular galaxies in the vastness of the Universe.

Astronomers in Lately launched a joint project to identify the location of all galaxies in the universe. Scientists hope to get a better picture of its structure on a large scale. The size of the universe is difficult to estimate for human thinking and understanding. Our galaxy alone is a connection of hundreds of billions of stars. And there are billions of such galaxies. We can see the light from the discovered distant galaxies, but do not even mean that we are looking into the past, because the light beam reaches us for tens of billions of years, such a great distance separates us.

Astronomers also associate most galaxies with certain groups called clusters. Our Milky Way belongs to a cluster of 40 explored galaxies. Such clusters are combined into large groupings called superclusters. The cluster with our galaxy is part of the Virgo supercluster. This giant cluster contains over 2,000 galaxies. As scientists began to map the distribution of these galaxies, superclusters took on certain shapes. Most of the galactic superclusters were surrounded by giant voids. No one knows what might be inside these voids: outer space like interplanetary or new form matter. It will take a long time to solve this riddle.

Interaction of galaxies

No less interesting for scientists is the question of the interaction of galaxies as components space systems. It's no secret that space objects are in constant motion. Galaxies are no exception to this rule. Some of the types of galaxies could cause a collision or merger of two space systems. If you look at what these space objects look like, large-scale changes as a result of their interaction become more understandable. During the collision of two space systems, a huge amount of energy splashes out. The meeting of two galaxies in the vastness of the Universe is an even more probable event than the collision of two stars. The collision of galaxies does not always end in an explosion. A small space system can freely pass by its larger counterpart, changing only slightly its structure.

Thus, formations similar to appearance along long corridors. Stars and gas zones stand out in their composition, new luminaries often form. There are times when galaxies do not collide, but only lightly touch each other. However, even such an interaction triggers a chain of irreversible processes that lead to huge changes in the structure of both galaxies.

What is the future of our galaxy?

As scientists suggest, it is possible that in the distant future the Milky Way will be able to absorb a tiny satellite system, which is located at a distance of 50 light years from us. Studies show that this satellite has a long life potential, but if it collides with a giant neighbor, it will most likely end its separate existence. Astronomers also predict a collision between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Nebula. Galaxies move towards each other at the speed of light. Before a likely collision, wait about three billion Earth years. However, whether it will actually happen now is hard to argue due to the lack of data on the motion of both space systems.

Description of galaxiesKvant. Space

The portal site will take you to the world of interesting and fascinating space. You will learn the nature of the construction of the Universe, get acquainted with the structure of known large galaxies and their components. By reading articles about our galaxy, some of the phenomena that can be observed in the night sky become more understandable to us.

All galaxies are at a great distance from the Earth. Only three galaxies can be seen with the naked eye: the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and the Andromeda Nebula. It is impossible to count all galaxies. Scientists suggest that their number is about 100 billion. Spatial arrangement galaxies unevenly - one area can contain a huge number of them, in the second there will not be even a single small galaxy at all. Astronomers failed to separate the image of galaxies from individual stars until the early 1990s. At that time, there were about 30 galaxies with individual stars. All of them were assigned to the Local group. In 1990, a majestic event took place in the development of astronomy as a science - the Hubble telescope was launched into Earth's orbit. It was this technique, as well as new ground-based 10-meter telescopes, that made it possible to see significantly more resolved galaxies.

Today, the "astronomical minds" of the world are puzzling over the role of dark matter in the construction of galaxies, which manifests itself only in gravitational interaction. For example, in some large galaxies it makes up about 90% of the total mass, while dwarf galaxies may not contain it at all.

Evolution of galaxies

Scientists believe that the emergence of galaxies is a natural stage in the evolution of the Universe, which took place under the influence of gravitational forces. Approximately 14 billion years ago, the formation of protoclusters in the primary matter began. Further, under the influence of various dynamic processes, the separation of galactic groups took place. The abundance of galaxy shapes is explained by the variety of initial conditions in their formation.

It takes about 3 billion years to compress a galaxy. Over a given period of time, the gas cloud turns into a star system. Star formation occurs under the influence of gravitational compression gas clouds. After reaching a certain temperature and density in the center of the cloud, sufficient to start thermonuclear reactions, is formed new star. Massive stars are formed from thermonuclear chemical elements larger than helium in mass. These elements create the primary helium-hydrogen environment. During grandiose explosions of supernovae, elements heavier than iron are formed. It follows from this that the galaxy consists of two generations of stars. The first generation are the oldest stars, consisting of helium, hydrogen and a very small amount of heavy elements. Second-generation stars have a more noticeable admixture of heavy elements, since they are formed from a primordial gas enriched in heavy elements.

In modern astronomy, galaxies as cosmic structures are given a separate place. The types of galaxies, the features of their interaction, similarities and differences are studied in detail, and a forecast of their future is made. This area contains many more incomprehensible things that require further study. modern science solved many questions regarding the types of construction of galaxies, but there are also many blank spots associated with the formation of these cosmic systems. The current pace of modernization of research equipment, the development of new methodologies for the study of space bodies give hope for a significant breakthrough in the future. One way or another, galaxies will always be in the center scientific research. And it is based not only on human curiosity. Having received data on the patterns of development of space systems, we will be able to predict the future of our galaxy called the Milky Way.

The most interesting news, scientific, author's articles about the study of galaxies will be provided to you by the portal site. Here you can find breathtaking videos, high-quality images from satellites and telescopes that do not leave you indifferent. Dive into the world of unknown space with us!

> > Spiral galaxies

The Hubble photo shows M71, a reminder of how amazing and photogenic spiral galaxies can be. Almost 70% of neighbors Milky Way belong to this type (April 2, 2013).

Learn what it looks like spiral galaxy: description and characteristics with photos, classification, the role of Edwin Hubble, the type of the Milky Way, birth and development.

It is easy to guess that spiral galaxies got their name because of the observed shape. These are swirling collections of gas and stars (hot and young), sometimes striking in appearance.

Characterization and classification of spiral galaxies

It is necessary to understand how the structure of spiral galaxies looks like. Most spiral galaxies, like the Milky Way, have a central bulge (core) around which a flat stellar disk rotates. The galactic center is filled with older and dimmer stars, and also hosts a supermassive one (although it is not always possible to find it due to dust and gas). The dim light of ancient stars makes it difficult to determine the bulge, and there are spirals that do not have this feature at all.

It is the disk that makes it easy to distinguish this type of galaxy from others (an important element of a spiral galaxy). It has spiral arms filled with young stars, dust and gas. It is the bright stars that make the sleeves so expressive and noticeable.

The exact pattern of the formation of spiral arms is still a mystery. If they were permanent galactic properties, they should have disappeared within a billion years. The researchers believe they may be the result of density waves propagating across the outer disk. The waves themselves could have formed during the collision. When merging, the mass of one affects the change in the structure of the second.

Approximately 2/3 of spiral galaxies contain a bar in the center. also has a similar structure, but it is difficult to see. Therefore, until 2005, its presence could not be confirmed. The classification of galaxies appeared in 1926 thanks to Edwin Hubble. It is called the "Hubble tuning fork" and the principle of organization is based on the galactic form. Spirals are distributed by how much their arms are twisted, as well as by the presence or absence of a bar.

Among the entire array of observed galaxies, 77% belong to spiral galaxies. But do not think that they dominate. Still, this honor belongs to the elliptical, which in the end are the next form of transformation for the spiral ones. Elliptical galaxies are older and fainter stars and therefore harder to find.

History and formation of spiral galaxies

Spiral galaxies are filled with dust and gas, which creates excellent conditions for star formation. It is believed that they are younger than elliptical. can be found completely different forms. About 60% of them have several sleeves, 10% have two, and 30% cannot be counted, as they changed their appearance over time.

These galaxies are a billion to a trillion times more massive than the Sun. The visible disk is 10,000 to 300,000 light years wide. The largest spiral galaxy is NGC 6872, which stretches out to 522,000 light-years.

In the early Universe, galaxies often collided and contacted, so the shape of the ancient giants was quickly distorted. The oldest observed spiral galaxy is BX442 (10.7 billion years). Because of the correlation between distance and time, researchers are only able to see it 3 billion years after the Big Bang.

When the spiral galaxy has used up all the gas and dust, then the stars stop forming, and the spiral form breaks up, and they transform into elliptical ones. Watch a video about galaxies to learn more about the birth of stars, the creation of spirals and arms.

Evolution of disk galaxies

Astrophysicist Olga Silchenko on star birth, galaxy modeling and accretion of external cold gas:

Spiral pattern of galaxies

Astronomer Alexei Rastorguev on the causes of the spiral pattern, the theory of density waves and the difficulties in studying our Galaxy:

Dr. Danny Faulkner

Since their discovery, galaxies have never ceased to amaze the human mind. Many of them are in the form of beautiful spirals. But if they were to rotate for billions of years, would they not lose their distinct spiral arms?

Huge islands of stars called "galaxies" float in pitch-black space. The estimated number of visible galaxies is about 170 billion, and each of them contains billions or even trillions of individual stars. As we contemplate this shimmering wonder, we wonder, “Where did these shining jewels come from?”

In the first chapter of the book of Genesis, we are given an unmistakable answer: on the fourth day the Creator created the stars (Genesis 1:16). Astronomers who deny the history given to us by God cannot find an alternative explanation for the origin of the stars.

One of the main problems for them is the beautiful spiral arms that adorn many galaxies. Simply put, these spirals would have to lose their shape if they existed in ancient universe . But in fact, the presence of spiral arms proves that the universe is very young.

The structure of galaxies

Any reasonable interpretation of the origin of galaxies requires a lengthy explanation. The galaxies are located far apart, and it seems that there is no matter between them. For example, our galaxy, which is called the Milky Way, is separated from the nearest galaxy of significant size - Andromeda (M 31) - by a distance of two million light years.

Every galaxy has a huge number of stars. The Milky Way and M 31, which are ordinary galaxies, are made up of about 200 billion stars each, and span 100,000 light-years from edge to edge. Quite interesting is the fact that other smaller galaxies orbit larger galaxies, such as our own and the galaxy M 31.

Galaxies are divided into two main types - spiral and elliptical. Elliptical galaxies, as the name suggests, are shaped like an ellipse. Spiral galaxies, on the other hand, have a dense concentration of stars at the center, called the core, and graceful spiral arms radiating from the core to the outer edge. This gives the galaxy a swirling appearance. Where did this arrangement and diversity come from?

Spirals generate the most controversy among astronomers. Beginning in the 1930s, scientists began to argue about the structure and origin of the spiral arms, and these disputes continue today.

Discovering a young universe

Before dealing with technical difficulties, we must address one common misconception. Many people believe that there are many stars inside the arms of the spiral, but there are practically no stars between the arms. In fact, the grouping of stars between the arms and inside the arm is almost the same.

If so, why do the arms of the spiral appear so bright to the eye? The reason is that there are very hot and bright blue stars in the spiral arm. The light from these stars dominates the visible spectrum, which is why the arms of the spiral stand out so well in photographs. This is especially true of old black and white photographs, which were very sensitive to blue color. In more recent infrared color photographs, the spiral arms do not stand out as much, as the more numerous red stars dominate.

In addition to bright blue stars, there is also a lot of dust and gas in the arms of the spiral. Sometimes dust and gas are concentrated into "clouds" called "nebulae". Astronomers refer to the nebulae and blue stars as "spiral satellites" because they plot the locations of the arms of the spiral.

However, back in the 1930s, astronomers were faced with a problem. The outer stars took longer to complete their orbit than the stars inside the spiral. As the distance from the center of the galaxy increases, the arms of the spiral must become unstable. I.e, after a few rotations, the spiral arms should have dissipated.

Astronomers have been arguing for years about the direction in which spiral arms move, trying to determine whether they are twisting or unwinding. But no matter which view they held, if galaxies were at least ten billion years old, as is commonly assumed, then spiral arms would no longer exist.

Bad Assumptions

By the late 1960s, astronomers seemed to have found the answer to their question. They developed the theory of spiral wave density. According to this concept, the spiral arms behave in interstellar space like sound waves. If some external forces compress interstellar space, clouds of gas and dust appear in the arms of the spiral. In addition, due to the compression of the gas, stars were presumably formed.

According to this world view, some new stars should have become massive blue stars with very short life cycles (a few million years at best). Such stars were very important in confirming this theory, however, since they are supposed to exist for a short time, there is not enough time for the “wave” to move and leave behind blue stars. Therefore, in their theory, they suggested that here the gravity of the galaxy entered the scene and completed the process of collecting material and forming stars.

The details of the spiral wave density theory are difficult to prove, but this worldview still has adamant adherents. By the 1990s, scientists had studied small satellite galaxies and came to the conclusion that they could be the very mechanism that maintains the shape of the spiral, but this theory is also quite difficult to prove in detail.

Dark matter?

Behind last decade astronomers have received evidence of the existence of dark matter, which only complicates the overall picture. Dark matter is interesting because it does not emit light, but its total mass far exceeds the total mass of illuminated matter, and its gravity has the greatest influence on the structures of bodies within the galaxy, as well as the entire cosmos.

Evidence suggests that dark matter resides in the outer layers of galaxies. Most astronomers today believe that it is dark matter that helps the spirals of galaxies to support life. However, even the best evidence for the existence of dark matter—a higher rotational speed of the outer layers of galaxies than expected—may only exacerbate, not solve, the problem of the existence of spirals.

Creationists have long argued that spiral arms should not exist in an ancient universe, so the presence of spiral arms indicates a very young age of the universe. However, since most evolutionary astronomers begin their research with the assumption that the universe is billions of years old, they are convinced that there are mechanisms that continue to keep galaxies spiral. If they actually had convincing answers to all these questions, they would stop making new assumptions. Their errors indicate that creationist arguments should not be discounted.

In recent years, another method has been developed. Astronomers have photographed distant galaxies 12 million light-years from Earth. Assuming that there was a "big bang" about 13.7 billion years ago, they believe that these galaxies are the youngest in the universe. They are practically indistinguishable from neighboring (and presumably older) galaxies, and are virtually identical in appearance. In other words, we do not observe evolutionary processes here either.

Based on the theory of recent creation, we can assume that distant galaxies should look almost the same as nearby ones, but the evolutionary model cannot allow this. Let's say it again: God's Word sheds unshakable light on the origin and structure of His great universe.

Dr. Danny Faulkner is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Lancaster University of South Carolina. He has written numerous articles for astronomical journals and is also the author of the book " A universe created by intelligent design».

In deaf areas outer space was recently discovered the new kind galaxies, which is conditionally called "super spirals". They have truly gigantic dimensions, surpass our Milky Way in all respects and can compete in size and brightness with the most large galaxies that have only been discovered in the universe.

Superspiral galaxies, as it turned out, have been in the minds of astronomers for a long time - they simply successfully mimicked typical spiral galaxies. A new study was conducted using archival data from NASA and it showed that these galaxies, which at first glance are close to us, are actually very far away, but seem close because they are gigantic in size. Immediately before the researchers a new question arose: how is the existence of such spiral galaxies possible at all.

“We have discovered a previously unknown class of spiral galaxies that are as huge and bright as the largest galaxies known to us. In simple terms, this is the same as if we discovered on Earth a new unknown creature the size of an elephant, but still unknown to zoologists, ”Patrick Ogle of the California Institute of Technology, lead author of an article published in The Astrophysical Journal.

One of the three galaxies with two nuclei, its name is 2MASX J08542169+0449308. Source: SDSS

Ogle and his colleagues stumbled upon these super spirals quite by accident while searching for extremely bright, massive galaxies in the depths of the NED (NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database) archive. This archive is an online repository containing information on over one hundred million galaxies. The NED combines data from many diverse projects, including ultraviolet observations from the GALEX orbiter, the ground-based Sloane Digital Sky Survey, the 2MASS survey, and the individual Spitzer and WISE spacecraft.

"This amazing discovery of the class of giant spiral galaxies took place only thanks to the routine analysis of the NED database of galaxies. Thus, we can say that routine, systematic and consistent work with archives generalized for all projects also bears fruit. We are sure that the archive contains information about many more such nuggets. We just have to learn how to ask the right questions.” – George Helow, research co-author and head of the archive

Initially, Ogle, Helow and their colleagues rightly believed that huge, mature galaxies, belonging to the class of ellipticals due to their unusual shape, will be the dominant elements in the studied archival information. But as it turned out, scientists were in for a huge surprise. Approximately 800,000 galaxies were selected from the general database, located at a distance of no more than 3.5 billion light years from us. Surprisingly, 53 of the most bright galaxies was a spiral, not an ellipse. The researchers rechecked the distances to these galaxies, it turned out that they are located another 1.2 billion light-years further than originally thought. Once the distances were correctly estimated, the staggering size and properties of this newly discovered class of spiral galaxies were revealed.

Another galaxy that can be classified as a superspiral. Its name is 2MASX J16014061+2718161 and it also has two cores. Source: SDSS

As it has now been established, superspiral galaxies can have a brightness, greater than the brightness of the Milky Way from 8 to 14 times, they are ten times more massive than our Galaxy. Their bright, star-filled disks are 2 to 4 times our diameter, and the largest known spiral galaxy to date is 440,000 light-years across. Superspiral galaxies emit strong ultraviolet and mid-infrared radiation. This means that the processes of formation of new stars are actively taking place in their depths, the rate of their birth is about 30 times higher, again compared to our Galaxy.

According to current astrophysical theory, there is no way that spiral galaxies can achieve any of these amazing features, let alone have all of these properties at once. The fact is that spiral galaxies grow by capturing cold gas from intergalactic matter. At some point, the mass of an ordinary spiral galaxy reaches such large values, as a result of which the trapped gas begins to move inside it very quickly. Because of this, friction of matter is formed and heating occurs, and an increase in temperature begins to slow down the subsequent processes of the birth of new stars. But, as we all now know, it turns out that spiral galaxies do not obey this law.

One of the largest superspiral galaxies SDSS J094700.08+254045.7. Its disk diameter is about 320,000 light years.