Eight weird spindle-like galaxies discovered by astronomers

Eight weird spindle-like galaxies discovered by astronomers

Scientists have discovered eight new spindle-like galaxies—huge structures once thought to be extremely rare features of the cosmos. Traditionally, we think of galaxies as being flat rotating disks made up of billions of stars, with a black hole at their center. However, scientists also know of another type known as prolate rotators. These are cigar-shaped galaxies that rotate along their axis making it look like a spindle. Until now, only a handful of which had ever been observed, making astronomers think they were extremely rare. Oct 13, 2017