Pinwheel Galaxy in the context of Grand design spiral galaxy

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👉 Pinwheel Galaxy in the context of Grand design spiral galaxy

A grand design spiral galaxy is a spiral galaxy with prominent and well-defined continuous spiral arms, as opposed to multi-arm, patchy and flocculent spirals which have subtler structural features. The spiral arms of a grand design galaxy extend clearly around the galaxy, covering a significant portion of the galaxy's circumference. These spiral arms host much star formation, making them home to an abundance of bright, hot, and short-lived massive stars.

As of 2002, approximately 10 percent of all currently known spiral galaxies are classified as grand design type spirals, including M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy), M74 (Phantom Galaxy), M81 (Bode’s Galaxy), M83 (Southern pinwheel galaxy), M101 (Pinwheel Galaxy), NGC 6946 (Fireworks Galaxy) and IC 342 (The Hidden Galaxy).

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👉 Pinwheel Galaxy in the context of Grand design spiral galaxy
Pinwheel Galaxy in the context of Messier 102
Pinwheel Galaxy in the context of NGC 5474

Pinwheel Galaxy in the context of Messier 102

Messier 102 (also known as M102) is a galaxy listed in the Messier Catalogue that cannot be unambiguously identified. Its original discoverer Pierre Méchain retracted his discovery two years after publication and said that it was a duplicate observation of Messier 101. Later historical evidence favors that M102 is actually the galaxy NGC 5866, although other galaxies have been suggested as possible identities. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) considers it to be the same as NGC 5866.

View the full Wikipedia page for Messier 102

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Pinwheel Galaxy in the context of NGC 5474

NGC 5474 is a peculiar dwarf galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. It is one of several companion galaxies of the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), a grand-design spiral galaxy.Among the Pinwheel Galaxy's companions, this galaxy is the closest to the Pinwheel Galaxy itself. The gravitational interaction between NGC 5474 and the Pinwheel Galaxy has strongly distorted the former. As a result, the disk is offset relative to the nucleus. The star formation in this galaxy (as traced by hydrogen spectral line emission) is also offset from the nucleus. NGC 5474 shows some signs of a spiral structure. As a result, this galaxy is often classified as a dwarf spiral galaxy, a relatively rare group of dwarf galaxies.

View the full Wikipedia page for NGC 5474

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Pinwheel Galaxy in the context of Grand design spiral galaxy

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