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Warped Spiral Galaxy ESO 510 13
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Warped Spiral Galaxy ESO 510 13
Credit & Copyright: C. Conselice (U. Wisconsin/STScI) et al., Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), NASA
Explanation: How did spiral galaxy ESO 510-13 get bent out of shape? The disks of many spirals are thin and flat, but not solid. Spiral disks are loose conglomerations of billions of stars and diffuse gas all gravitationally orbiting a galaxy center. A flat disk is thought to be created by sticky collisions of large gas clouds early in the galaxy's formation. Warped disks are not uncommon, though, and even our own Milky Way Galaxy is thought to have a small warp. The causes of spiral warps are still being investigated, but some warps are thought to result from interactions or even collisions between galaxies. ESO 510-13, pictured above, is about 150 million light years away and about 100,000 light years across.

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
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Based on Astronomy Picture Of the Day

Publications with keywords: disk - warp - spiral galaxy
Publications with words: disk - warp - spiral galaxy
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