How do elliptical galaxies differ from spiral galaxies?

Quick Answer

Elliptical galaxies are smoother and rounder, with little cold gas or ongoing star formation, while spiral galaxies have disks, arms, and more active star birth. Ellipticals are often made of older stars.

The Full Story

Elliptical galaxies range from nearly spherical to elongated shapes and usually contain older stellar populations. They have less cold gas and dust than spiral galaxies, so new stars form only rarely. Spiral galaxies, by contrast, have rotating disks, visible arms, and abundant star-forming regions. Many large ellipticals likely formed through mergers of smaller galaxies, which can disrupt disks and exhaust gas. The classification was developed in the 1920s by Edwin Hubble in his famous tuning-fork diagram.

Key Facts

1.Ellipticals usually have little cold gas

2.Spiral galaxies have disks and arms

3.Hubble’s galaxy classification dates to the 1920s

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