Podcasts & RSS Feeds

All ContentRSS
View all podcasts & RSS feeds

News & Music Contributors

Abe Beeson
Abe Beeson
Evening Jazz Host
Ruby Brown
Ruby Brown
Sunday Side Up Jazz Host
Ashley Gross
Ashley Gross
Business and Labor Reporter
Martha Kang
Martha Kang
Online Managing Editor
Kirsten Kendrick
Kirsten Kendrick
Morning Edition Host
John Kessler
John Kessler
All Blues Host
Kevin Kniestedt
Kevin Kniestedt
Weekend Edition Saturday and Jazz on the Grooveyard Host
Robin Lloyd
Robin Lloyd
Midday Jazz Host
Mary McCann
Mary McCann
Saturday Jazz Matinee Host
Dave Meyer
Dave Meyer
All Things Considered Host
Bellamy Pailthorp
Bellamy Pailthorp
Environment Reporter
Keith Seinfeld
Keith Seinfeld
Health & Science Reporter/Assistant News Director
Gabriel Spitzer
Gabriel Spitzer
Youth & Education Reporter
Dick Stein
Dick Stein
Midday Jazz Host
Paula Wissel
Paula Wissel
Law & Justice Reporter
Nick Morrison
Nick Morrison
Production Manager/ Jazz & Blues Host

9:32am

Sun March 4, 2012
E-mail
Print
Comments
Share
Science

NPR Science: The exquisite tilt of a spiral galaxy

Originally published on Sun March 4, 2012 9:12 am

By Adam Frank
Enlarge image
Credit Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), C. Conselice (U. Wisconsin/STScI) et al., NASA
The Warp in this Spiral Galaxy was probably the result of a cosmic collision with another galaxy.

This lovely image of the spiral galaxy ESO 510-13 was featured on Friday's Astronomy Picture of the Day.

A galaxy is a collection of billions of stars (gas and dust and lots of Dark Matter) held together by their mutual gravity. The exquisite warp seen here is likely caused by interactions with other galaxies. Collisions or "harassment" between galaxies is quite common and may be the most important process shaping galactic evolution.

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Tags: 
NPR Science
Related Content: