Space Warps Talk

Spotters guide

  • tsering by tsering

    In the Spotter's Guide, there's a galaxy listed as a lens example which looks very much like a polar ring galaxy - it looks like a spiral galaxy with a ring round it. I thought spiral galaxies weren't massive enough to cause lensing? Confused!

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  • Budgieye by Budgieye moderator

    Hi Tsering, Are you looking at the edge-on galaxy?

    Edge-on galaxy

    spotter' guide

    By looking at the spiral galaxy edge-on, you would be able to see lensing around the nucleus.

    The galaxy is flattened, unlike the ball-shape of larger ellipical galaxies. You can look much closer to the area beside the massive nucleus, where light would be bent. There are no stars interfering with the light of a lensing event.

    Posted