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
Recent Examples on the Web
The first is a spiral galaxy; the second is an elliptical galaxy.
—
Joel Achenbach, Washington Post, 12 July 2024
The galaxy in the top left corner is a spiral galaxy seen nearly edge-on.
—Samuel Sanders, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024
Imagine squeezing a Milky Way’s worth of stars into a volume with a radius 100 times smaller than our familiar home spiral galaxy.
—Fabio Pacucci, Scientific American, 27 June 2024
Related article Study proves black holes have a ‘plunging region,’ just as Einstein predicted
In the 1970s, American astronomers Vera Rubin and W. Kent Ford confirmed dark matter’s existence by looking at stars orbiting at the edge of spiral galaxies.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for spiral galaxy 
Joel Achenbach, Washington Post, 12 July 2024
The galaxy in the top left corner is a spiral galaxy seen nearly edge-on.
—Samuel Sanders, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024
Imagine squeezing a Milky Way’s worth of stars into a volume with a radius 100 times smaller than our familiar home spiral galaxy.
—Fabio Pacucci, Scientific American, 27 June 2024
Related article Study proves black holes have a ‘plunging region,’ just as Einstein predicted
In the 1970s, American astronomers Vera Rubin and W. Kent Ford confirmed dark matter’s existence by looking at stars orbiting at the edge of spiral galaxies.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for spiral galaxy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spiral galaxy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Spiral galaxy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiral%20galaxy. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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