Galaxy
A galaxy is a vast collection of stars, gas, and dust held together by gravity. There are billions of galaxies in the observable universe, each containing anywhere from a few hundred million to trillions of stars. The most common type of galaxy is the spiral galaxy, which has a distinct, spiral shape with a central bulge of stars and a disk of gas and dust that extends outwards. The spiral arms, which are made up of young, hot stars, are thought to be formed by density waves that move through the disk of the galaxy. Elliptical galaxies, as the name suggests, have a more elliptical shape, with a smooth distribution of stars and little or no visible structure. These galaxies are thought to be formed by the collision and merger of other galaxies. Irregular galaxies do not have a distinct shape and are typically smaller than spiral and elliptical galaxies. They are often found in the vicinity of other galaxies and are thought to have been affected by interactions with their neighbors. In a...