How did crux get its name?
Crux means “the cross” in Latin. Ancient Greeks considered Crux to be a part of the constellation Centaurus. Even though its stars were charted on most celestial globes, it was not until 1679 that it became a constellation in its own right.
What is the story behind the constellation Crux?
Crux was first described as a separate constellation by the Italian explorer Andreas Corsali in 1516. The Portuguese while rounding Africa mapped it and discovered its nautical use. The cross serves as a convenient pointer to the south celestial pole, making it useful in navigation.
What Centaurus means?
In Greek mythology, Centaurus represents a centaur; a creature that is half human, half horse (another constellation named after a centaur is one from the zodiac: Sagittarius).
What constellation looks like a man?
Sagittarius is a centaur — a mythological half-man, half-horse — who has drawn his bow. His arrow is pointing at Antares, the bright red heart of Scorpius, the scorpion. The archer is avenging Orion, who was slain by the scorpion’s sting. The constellation originated in Sumeria, then was picked up by the Greeks.
Who found Centaurus?
astronomer Ptolemy
How old is Centaurus A?
13.27 billion years
Is Centaurus A black hole?
Centaurus A is a giant elliptical active galaxy 12 million light-years away. At its heart lies a black hole with a mass of 55 million suns.
How old is an irregular galaxy?
The very bright stars in the picture, those with spikes around them, are stars in the foreground belonging to the Milky Way. The main body of SagDig is rich in gas, and contains many regions of active star formation. Indeed, the average age of the stars in the galaxy is a relatively young 4 to 8 billion years.
How do stars move in an irregular galaxy?
The stars then move on elliptical orbits around the center, but are perturbed by local irregularities. In spirals and elliptical, the potential is rather symmetric, whereas in irregulars it is quite… irregular.
What holds an irregular galaxy together?
A galaxy is a group of stars, dust, and gases held together by gravity.
How does galaxy look like?
Some galaxies are spiral-shaped like ours. They have curved arms that make it look like a pinwheel. Other galaxies are smooth and oval shaped. The light that we see from each of these galaxies comes from the stars inside it.
How is an irregular galaxy formed?
Irregular galaxies often form when one galaxy collides with another. Here, a smaller galaxy passed through the middle of a large spiral galaxy, forming this irregular Cartwheel Galaxy.
What is the likely cause of irregular galaxies?
Formation of Irregular Galaxies It seems that they are typically formed through gravitational interactions and mergers of other galaxies. Most, if not all of them began life as some other galaxy type.
How do you describe an irregular galaxy?
Irregular galaxies have no particular shape. They are among the smallest galaxies and are full of gas and dust. Having a lot of gas and dust means that these galaxies have a lot of star formation going on within them. They are two small galaxies which orbit around our own Milky Way Galaxy.