Flocculent spiral galaxy
A flocculent spiral galaxy is a type of spiral galaxy. Unlike the well-defined spiral architecture of a grand design spiral galaxy, flocculent (meaning "flaky") galaxies are patchy, with discontinuous spiral arms.[1][2] Self-propagating star formation is the apparent explanation for the structure of flocculent spirals.[3] Approximately 30% of spirals are flocculent, 10% are grand design, and the rest are referred to as "multi-armed".[4] The multiple-arm type is sometimes grouped into the flocculent category.[5]
The prototypical flocculent spiral is NGC 2841.[6]
List of flocculent spiral galaxies
| Example | Class | Image | Constellation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 1325 | SBbc | 
|
Eridanus | |
| NGC 1353 | SBb | 
|
Eridanus | |
| NGC 2775 | SA(r)ab |
|
Cancer | [7] |
| NGC 2841 | SA(r)b | 
|
Ursa Major | [6] |
| NGC 3521 | SAB(r s)bc | 
|
Leo | [6] |
| NGC 4298 | SA(r s)c | 
|
Coma Berenices | |
| NGC 4414 | SA(r s)c | 
|
Coma Berenices | [8] |
| NGC 7793 | SA(s)d | 
|
Sculptor | [6] |
| Sunflower Galaxy (Messier 63) |
SAB(r s)cd | 
|
Canes Venatici | [9] |
References
- ^ COSMOS – SAO Encyclopedia of Astronomy, "Grand Design Spiral" (Retrieved 23 April 2010)
- ^ COSMOS – SAO Encyclopedia of Astronomy, "Flocculent Spiral" (Retrieved 23 April 2010)
- ^ Masters, Karen (September 2002), What is the Origin of Spiral Structure in Galaxies, archived from the original on 9 June 2007, retrieved 30 May 2007
- ^ Case Western Reserve University, Chris Mihos, ASTR222 – Spring 2008, "Spiral Structure" (Retrieved 23 April 2010)
- ^ University of Virginia, Mark Whittle, ASTR 553/554 : Extragalactic Astronomy (2007), "Lecture 5: Spiral Galaxies". Archived 7 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 23 April 2010).
- ^ a b c d "A Near-Infrared Atlas of Spiral Galaxies", Debra Meloy Elmegreen, "CH3. Discussion" (Retrieved 23 April 2010)
- ^ "Hubble Spots Feathered Spiral". NASA. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ Nemiroff, R.; Bonnell, J., eds. (3 April 2002). "NGC 4414: A Flocculent Spiral Galaxy". Astronomy Picture of the Day. NASA. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
- ^ NASA (2015). [1]. Retrieved 2 March 2017
Sources
- PDF A Near-Infrared Atlas of Spiral Galaxies, Debra Meloy Elmegreen, 1981, doi:10.1086/190757, Bibcode:1981ApJS...47..229E
External links
- COSMOS astronomy encyclopedia – Flocculent Spiral
