WIYN Images: Elliptical Galaxies



The WIYN Observatory is owned and operated by the WIYN Consortium, Inc., which consists of the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). NOAO is operated for the National Science Foundation by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc.
The WIYN telescope is one of the best imaging telescopes in the world. Some examples are collected on these pages. If you plan to use any of these images for other than your personal enjoyment please read our conditions of use.

Elliptical galaxies are spheroidal distributions of mostly older stars, usually without much of the intersteller material that is prevalent in spirals. Ellipticals are often classified with a number that describes their appearance; an E0 galaxy is almost perfectly circular while an E7 is quite elongated. Ellipticals vary greatly in size, from very small companions found near our own galaxy to the giant ellipticals often seen near the center of rich clusters.


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Contact: Nigel Sharp, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 N. Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, AZ 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360, email: images@noao.edu

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Last updated: Aug 26 2008.