Types of Galaxies
Types Of Galaxies is a structured science & nature dataset with 13 entries. Its fields include Galaxy Type, Shape, Star Formation Rate. The source values are preserved as a structured reference table.
Every row is shown below and is also available as CSV, JSON, or Excel.
Dataset details
- Table scope
- All 13 rows
- Fields
- 5 columns
- Source
- Community curated
- Data updated
- Mar 20, 2026
Included fields: Galaxy Type, Shape, Star Formation Rate, Famous Example, Known For.
The table contains every record in this dataset; the same records are available in each download format.
Preview observations
- Star Formation Rate groups
- 11 distinct values
- Across 13 preview rows
Useful for
- Comparing Galaxy Type, Shape, and Star Formation Rate across science & nature entries
- Building reference tables, charts, or analyses from 13 downloadable records
Galaxy Type↕ | Shape↕ | Star Formation Rate↕ | Famous Example↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Spiral Galaxy | Flat disk with spiral arms | Active (in arms) | Andromeda (M31) | The photogenic galaxy — beautiful spiral arms of blue young stars, Hubble's most iconic images, Andromeda is heading toward us (collision in 4.5 billion years), about 60% of nearby galaxies are spirals |
Barred Spiral | Spiral with central bar | Active | Milky Way (our galaxy) | Home sweet home — the Milky Way is a barred spiral, central bar channels gas to fuel star formation, two-thirds of spiral galaxies have bars, bar may be a phase in galaxy evolution |
Elliptical Galaxy | Spherical to elongated blob | Very low (old red stars) | M87 (first black hole image) | Galactic retirement homes — mostly old red stars, little gas or dust left for new stars, M87's supermassive black hole was first ever photographed (2019), largest galaxies in universe are ellipticals |
Irregular Galaxy | No defined shape | Often very active | Large Magellanic Cloud | Cosmic rebels with no structure — Magellanic Clouds visible from Southern Hemisphere, often result of gravitational interactions, rich in gas and active star formation, about 20% of known galaxies |
Lenticular Galaxy | Disk without spiral arms | Low | NGC 5866 (Spindle Galaxy) | The in-between galaxy — has a disk like spirals but no arms, has a bulge like ellipticals, transitional phase between spiral and elliptical, used up their gas, edge-on they look like flying saucers |
Ring Galaxy | Ring of stars around center | Active (in ring) | Hoag's Object | Rarest and most mysterious — Hoag's Object is a perfect ring around an older core, likely formed by galaxy collision punching through center, extremely rare, looks artificial, one of astronomy's beautiful puzzles |
Dwarf Galaxy | Various (irregular, elliptical) | Varies | Sagittarius Dwarf | Small but incredibly common — most galaxies in the universe are dwarfs, Milky Way is currently absorbing several, dark matter dominated, may be building blocks of larger galaxies, hard to detect |
Active Galaxy (AGN) | Any (with active nucleus) | Varies | Centaurus A | Supermassive black hole on overdrive — actively feeding black hole blasts jets and radiation, quasars are the extreme version, brightest objects in universe, visible across billions of light-years |
Quasar | Appears point-like (extremely distant) | Extreme in host galaxy | 3C 273 (first identified quasar) | Brightest objects in the universe — supermassive black holes eating entire gas clouds, some outshine their entire host galaxy by 1,000x, visible from 13 billion light-years away, powered the early universe |
Seyfert Galaxy | Spiral with bright nucleus | Active | NGC 1068 | Spiral galaxies with attitude — extremely bright active nuclei, less powerful than quasars but same mechanism, first identified by Carl Seyfert in 1943, about 10% of all galaxies may be Seyferts |
Starburst Galaxy | Any (extremely high star formation) | Extreme (10-100x normal) | M82 (Cigar Galaxy) | Star factories on overdrive — creating stars 10-100x faster than normal galaxies, often triggered by galaxy collisions, M82 has superwind blasting gas into space, will burn through gas fast then go quiet |
Interacting / Merging Galaxies | Distorted, tidal tails | Triggered bursts | Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/4039) | Cosmic car crashes in slow motion — gravity distorts both galaxies into spectacular shapes, tidal tails stretch for thousands of light-years, triggers massive star formation, Milky Way + Andromeda will do this eventually |
Jellyfish Galaxy | Trailing tentacles of gas/stars | Active in tentacles | JO206, ESO 137-001 | Galaxy being stripped naked — ram pressure from galaxy cluster strips gas into trailing tentacles, stars form in the tentacles, looks like jellyfish swimming through space, relatively recently identified phenomenon |
Free to explore · No signup needed
Frequently asked questions
How is Types of Galaxies organized?
The table starts in the source data's default order. You can sort and filter the loaded rows by the displayed fields.
How much data is available on this page?
This dataset contains 13 entries, and every row is available in the table and in the downloadable files.
Can I download the complete dataset?
Yes. CSV, JSON, and Excel downloads contain all 13 rows. Before republishing the data, review the source and any usage terms listed on this page; dtbse does not replace the original source's licensing terms.
Related Datasets
More in Science & Nature
Types of Fossils
Body fossils, trace fossils, mold fossils, amber preservation — which fossil type tells the best story?
Gemstones Ranked
Diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire — which precious gem is the most magnificent?
Ocean Zones Ranked
Sunlight, twilight, midnight, abyssal, hadal — which ocean zone hides the most secrets?
Periodic Table Element Groups
Noble gases, halogens, alkali metals, transition metals — which element group rules chemistry?
Biomes of the World
Tundra, rainforest, desert, savanna — which biome is the most critical for Earth?