spiral galaxy
noun
: a galaxy exhibiting a central nucleus or barred structure from which extend curved arms of higher luminosity
called also spiral nebula
Examples of spiral galaxy in a Sentence
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The event took place inside NGC 3783, a spiral galaxy hosting a black hole weighing 30 million Suns.
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Dec. 2025
Supermassive black holes are notoriously messy eaters, but the behemoth at the heart of spiral galaxy NGC 3783 really takes the cake — and then flings it out into space at a fifth the speed of light.
—Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 9 Dec. 2025
For this reason, the universe over time will have fewer spiral galaxies and more elliptical galaxies because the spiral galaxies combine into elliptical galaxies.
—Stephen Dikerby, The Conversation, 24 Nov. 2025
In a spiral galaxy like ours, which has a flat disk filled with opaque, UV-absorbing dust, the effects would be essentially zero for a planet like Earth that was embedded in the disk’s outer suburbs.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2025
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Dec. 2025
Supermassive black holes are notoriously messy eaters, but the behemoth at the heart of spiral galaxy NGC 3783 really takes the cake — and then flings it out into space at a fifth the speed of light.
—Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 9 Dec. 2025
For this reason, the universe over time will have fewer spiral galaxies and more elliptical galaxies because the spiral galaxies combine into elliptical galaxies.
—Stephen Dikerby, The Conversation, 24 Nov. 2025
In a spiral galaxy like ours, which has a flat disk filled with opaque, UV-absorbing dust, the effects would be essentially zero for a planet like Earth that was embedded in the disk’s outer suburbs.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiral galaxy
Cite this Entry
“Spiral galaxy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiral%20galaxy. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
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