ASTRONOMERS DISCOVER RECTANGULAR GALAXY

by WhiteKnight, UK, Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 07:37

Astronomers Discover Rectangular Galaxy

A dwarf galaxy in the constellation of Eridanus resembles an 'emerald cut diamond', say discoverers

Galaxies essentially have three different shapes. The vast majority are flattened discs, often with spiral arms; some are ellipsoids, like rugby balls; and a few are completely irregular with no symmetry.

So the discovery of a galaxy with an entirely different shape is bound to generate a flutter of interest.

Today, Alister Graham at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia and a few mates announce the discovery of a dwarf galaxy designated LEDA 074886 that is distinctly rectangular. "We affectionately call [it] the “emerald cut galaxy” given its striking resemblance to an emerald cut diamond," they say.

The galaxy sits in a group of about 250 dwarf galaxies some 21 megaparsecs from Earth in the constellation of Eridanus. It's just a nipper, with a mass some 10 billion times that of the Sun. By contrast, the Milky Way is about a thousand times heavier. <SNIP>

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