The Exquisite Tilt Of A Spiral Galaxy

By Adam Frank

Published March 4, 2012 at 11:12 AM CST

The Warp in this Spiral Galaxy was probably the result of a cosmic collision with another galaxy.

This lovely image of the spiral galaxy ESO 510-13 was featured on Friday's Astronomy Picture of the Day.

A galaxy is a collection of billions of stars (gas and dust and lots of Dark Matter) held together by their mutual gravity. The exquisite warp seen here is likely caused by interactions with other galaxies. Collisions or "harassment" between galaxies is quite common and may be the most important process shaping galactic evolution.

Adam Frank

Adam Frank was a contributor to the NPR blog 13.7: Cosmos & Culture. A professor at the University of Rochester, Frank is a theoretical/computational astrophysicist and currently heads a research group developing supercomputer code to study the formation and death of stars. Frank's research has also explored the evolution of newly born planets and the structure of clouds in the interstellar medium. Recently, he has begun work in the fields of astrobiology and network theory/data science. Frank also holds a joint appointment at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, a Department of Energy fusion lab.

See stories by Adam Frank

The Exquisite Tilt Of A Spiral Galaxy

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