25 MOST BIZARRE GALAXIES IN THE UNIVERSE: 10-6

Posted by Alex Salamanca 

Our universe is both massive and fascinating. While we have a pretty elevated view of ourselves as humans, whenever we peer into the cosmos we really see how small we are in compared to the rest of whats out there. The lowest astronomical figures say there are 100 billion galaxies (that’s 100,000,000,000) in the universe, and our Milky Way is only one. Take the Earth – and multiply it times 17 billion. That’s how many Earth-sized worlds exist only in the Milky Way Galaxy. Multiply that times 100 billion galaxies and you have a massive universe, not even counting the stars and non-Earth-sized planets. Here, we focus on some of the most amazing aspects of our universe: galaxies. The masses of stars, planets, debris, dark matter, and more follow some general patterns but sometimes even they break tradition and amaze us, earning them a spot on this list of the strangest and most bizarre galaxies in the universe. 

Most of the strange galaxies on this list are known to astronomers by two classifications: the Messier catalog or the New General Catalog. Messier’s catalog was compiled in 1771 by French astronomer Charles Messier as a way to organize the host of cosmic discoveries happening at the time. A particular fan of comets, Messier made the list with his assistant Pierre Méchain to filter out non-comet items. The New General Catalog (NGC) of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars is a collection of various types of deep sky objects compiled by John Louis Emil Dreyer. Numerous revisions have cleaned up the listing, now one of the most comprehensive catalogs to date with 7,840 deep space objects. 

From a galaxy which resembles a cosmic sunflower unfolding before our eyes to a hellish-looking mass of gas and matter to violent galactic collisions which seem oh-so-peaceful in still images, here are the 25 Most Bizarre Galaxies in the Universe. 


10 ― 2MASX J16270254+4328340

Source: NASA, Image: NASA

This blurry galaxy is known by the seemingly overcomplicated name of 2MASX J16270254+4328340. The result of two galaxies merging, this strange galaxy has produced a fine mist consisting of millions of stars radiating out from its center. The mist is expected to slowly dissipate since the entire galaxy is nearing the end of its life with its stars cooling and dimming.


9 ― NGC 5793

Source: NASA, Image: NASA

Not too strange (though immensely beautiful) on first look, the spiral galaxy NGC 5793 is better known for a rare phenomenon: masers. We’re familiar with lasers, which emit light in the visible range of the spectrum, but not as much with masers, which emit light in the microwave range. Masers are rare, astronomically speaking, and produce light by absorbing surrounding energy and re-emitting it in the spectrum’s microwave range.


8 ― Triangulum Galaxy

Source: NASA, Image: NASA

This image shows a nebula (NGC 604) located in one of spiral arms of galaxy Messier 33. Over 200 immensely hot stars heat the ionized hydrogen gas of the nebula, making it fluoresce as seen here from the Hubble Space Telescope. Sometimes debated if it’s a satellite of the larger, nearby Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy AKA Messier 33 is the third largest in our Local Group.


7 ― NGC 2685

Source: Astronomical Journal, Image: NASA

Sometimes referred to as the Helix Galaxy, NGC 2685 is a polar ring galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. One of the first polar ring galaxies identified, NGC 2685 has an outer ring of gas and stars rotating around the galaxy’s poles, making it one of the rarest types of galaxies. (Most matter in galaxies orbits the equator, not the poles.) Scientists still aren’t sure what causes the polar rings, but theorize these galaxies may pull matter from passing galaxies. 


6 ― Messier 94

Source: NASA, Image: NASA

Messier 94 looks like the most terrifying hurricane which could ever hit our planet. This starburst galaxy is surrounded by bright blue rings of rapidly forming stars. The rapid birth regions are likely due to a pressure wave emanating from the galaxy’s center, compressing the outer regions’ gas and dust to coalesce into clouds then stars.

From list25 and Wikipedia.