By: Alexandria Addesso
New findings documented in the Astrophysical Journal show that what was once thought to be an area home to small galaxies, is actually home to UGC 1382, an enormous and highly unique galaxy.
"The center of UGC 1382 is actually younger than the spiral disk surrounding it," said Mark Seibert, the study co-author from the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Pasadena, California in a statement to NASA. "It's old on the outside and young on the inside. This is like finding a tree whose inner growth rings are younger than the outer rings."
Scientists used date gathered from NASA telescopes to come to the actualization that UGC 1382 is 10 times bigger than was previously believed. Being that its inner regions are younger than its outer regions, unlike most galaxies including our own, has led it to be dubbed “the Frankenstein Galaxy” because it is almost as if it was built with spare parts like the fictional monster. It is presumed that this occurred by more than one entity coming together and growing outward rather than one entity on its own how most galaxies are formed. If both, or multiple, entities developed independently then merged much of the galactic material would have been very unique thus forming something like a hybrid galaxy. So while people are failing at coexisting with each other on Earth because of differences in ideologies or ascribed statuses, completely unique space material is merging together to grow into something awe inspiring.
UGC 1382 is approximately 250 million light-years away from us, and has a span of
about 718,000 light-years across. It is also seven times wider than the Milky Way.
Astronomers continue to study UGC 1382 closely in the hopes to see if there are other galaxies like it. Stay curious, and keep gazing at the heavens.
New findings documented in the Astrophysical Journal show that what was once thought to be an area home to small galaxies, is actually home to UGC 1382, an enormous and highly unique galaxy.
"The center of UGC 1382 is actually younger than the spiral disk surrounding it," said Mark Seibert, the study co-author from the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Pasadena, California in a statement to NASA. "It's old on the outside and young on the inside. This is like finding a tree whose inner growth rings are younger than the outer rings."
Scientists used date gathered from NASA telescopes to come to the actualization that UGC 1382 is 10 times bigger than was previously believed. Being that its inner regions are younger than its outer regions, unlike most galaxies including our own, has led it to be dubbed “the Frankenstein Galaxy” because it is almost as if it was built with spare parts like the fictional monster. It is presumed that this occurred by more than one entity coming together and growing outward rather than one entity on its own how most galaxies are formed. If both, or multiple, entities developed independently then merged much of the galactic material would have been very unique thus forming something like a hybrid galaxy. So while people are failing at coexisting with each other on Earth because of differences in ideologies or ascribed statuses, completely unique space material is merging together to grow into something awe inspiring.
UGC 1382 is approximately 250 million light-years away from us, and has a span of
about 718,000 light-years across. It is also seven times wider than the Milky Way.
Astronomers continue to study UGC 1382 closely in the hopes to see if there are other galaxies like it. Stay curious, and keep gazing at the heavens.
