List of largest known galaxies
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Below is a list of the largest known galaxies by size.
The order of this list is speculative, for the following reasons:
- Galaxies don't have precise boundaries. From the center of mass, the stars just drop down in density proportionally with greater distance. This list puts the boundaries of galaxies within the 1 star per hundred light year squared critical limit, where stars will hold each other through gravity.
- Most galaxies have uncertain emissions of light at different wavelengths. Such an example is IC 1101 whose X-ray emission extends to 5.6 million light years despite its stellar diameter only half as large.
- Most galaxies undergo gravitational perturbations, making their stars spread out, such as the Comet Galaxy. This list only puts the boundaries where the gravity of the galaxy is dominant and not by tidal tails or other interactions.
List[edit]
| Galaxy | Size (ly/pc) | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| IC 1101 | 2,800,000 ly (860,000 pc) | E3 | Once reported in the late 1980s with an extremely large size, detailed analysis of its stellar halo finally reduced it to half of its original value. |
| NGC 262 (Markarian 348) |
2,600,000 ly (800,000 pc) (H I halo) |
S0-a | The huge neutral hydrogen halo of this galaxy makes it large; the stellar diameter of this galaxy is only 88,000 light-years. |
| BCG of Phoenix Cluster | 2,200,000 ly (670,000 pc) | E3 | Massive elliptical starburst galaxy |
| 300 other Abell cluster BCGs | >1,000,000 ly (310,000 pc) | ||
| Malin 1 | 650,000 ly (200,000 pc) | Sa | First identified LSB galaxy. Largest spiral galaxy as of November 2014 |
| NGC 6872 Condor Galaxy |
522,000 ly (160,000 pc) | SA(r)pec | Incorrectly claimed in 2013 as the largest spiral galaxy. The "actual" largest spiral galaxy is Malin 1 (see above) |
| Messier 87 ( NGC 4486) |
500,000 ly (150,000 pc) | E+0-1 pec | BCG of the Virgo Cluster. |
| Andromeda Galaxy (M31 , NGC224) |
220,000 ly (67,000 pc) | SA(s)b | Closest large galaxy to the Milky Way Galaxy. Located in the constellation Andromeda. |
| Pinwheel Galaxy (M101 , NGC5457) |
175,000 ly (54,000 pc) | SAB(rs)cd | A galaxy which was discovered by Pierre Mechain and later noted by William Herschel. |
| Cartwheel Galaxy | 150,000 ly (46,000 pc) | S pec | A lenticular galaxy which is known for its ring and cartwheel shape. It was discovered by Fritz Zwicky. |
| Messier 81 | 120,000 ly (37,000 pc) | SAa(s) | |
| Milky Way Galaxy | 100,000 ly (31,000 pc) | SBc | Our home galaxy, the galaxy which contains the Solar System. Reported for reference |
References[edit]
See also[edit]
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