Bar Galaxy

[bechcube]

Is there any evidence that NGC 1300 is a spiral end on with the remains on a collision with another sprial attached to its ends?

 

[petepan]

this site, http://www.reciprocalsystem.com/um/um02.htm <br /><br />suggests that the galaxy shape is the result of a previous encounter with another galaxy.<br /><br />extract<br /><i>Fig.2 (a) shows the structure of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1300. Here the two prominent arms terminate at the mass centers a and b, each of which is connected with the galactic center c by a bridge of dense material that forms the bar On the basis of the conclusions in the preceding paragraph, we may regard a and b as the original nuclei of galaxies A and B. the two aggregates whose consolidation produced NGC 1300. The gravitational forces between a and b are modifying the translational velocities of these masses in such a manner as to cause them to spiral in toward their common center of gravity, the new galactic nucleus, but this process is slowed considerably after the galaxy settles down to a steady rotation, as only the excess velocity above the rotational velocity of the structure as a whole is effective in moving the mass centers a and b forward in their spiral paths. In the meantime the gravitational attraction of each mass pulls individual stars out of the other mass center, and builds up a new galactic nucleus between the other two. As NGC 1300 continues on its evolutionary course, we can expect it to gradually develop into a structure such as that in Fig.2 (b), which shows the arms of M 51. Fig.2 (c) indicates how M 51 would look if the central portions of the arms were removed. The structural similarity to NGC 1300 is obvious.</i><br /><br />