National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Educators' Corner

Activity #4 - Identifying Unusual Galaxies

In this activity, students will identify galaxies by their distinctive appearance.

See Student Worksheet

Worksheet Answers

1. c. {Sombrero Galaxy} With a bright halo of stars and a large central bulge of stars, it looks like a hat.

2. d. {Whirlpool Galaxy} It looks like a whirlpool in the ocean or water going down a drain.

3. a. {Polar Ring Galaxy} It contains an inner central disk of old stars and an outer ring of younger stars giving it the appearance of a ring on a ringer.

4. b. {Siamese Twins Galaxy} It shows how gravitational pull sometimes causes two galaxies to collide or brush against each other, giving the appearance of two joined bodies.