<p>NGC 7773, captured here in a recent Hubble Space Telescope photo, might just be the ideal example of what astronomers call a barred spiral galaxy. Its tendril-like arms spiral out from the center, a star-filled rectangular smudge, or “bar.” Astronomers have observed these central features more often in older galaxies (like our own Milky Way) than in younger ones, so they suspect the formations develop as the star systems age. Over time, the gaseous materials that create stars migrate in from the spirals and converge in the central bar, powering new stellar birth.</p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><hr><p><em>[This story originally appeared in print as "Bar Exam."]</em></p><p>

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NGC 7773 - Hubble

December 2019 cover

The December 2019 issue of Discover Magazine

The Power of Cute

A barred spiral galaxy shines in a recent Hubble photo.

The Sciences

Hubble Reveals the Tendril-Like Arms of This Barred Spiral Galaxy

Article

News

Lacy Schley

Science

NGC 7773, captured here in a recent Hubble Space Telescope photo, might just be the ideal example of what astronomers call a barred spiral galaxy. Its tendril-like arms spiral out from the center, a star-filled rectangular smudge, or “bar.” Astronomers have observed these central features more often in older galaxies (like our own Milky Way) than in younger ones, so they suspect the formations develop as the star systems age. Over time, the gaseous materials that create stars migrate in from the spirals and converge in the central bar, powering new stellar birth. [This story originally appeared in print as "Bar Exam."]

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哈勃望远镜揭示了这座棒旋星系的丝状旋臂。

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