The universe is a living entity, made up of many different parts. Carefully placed throughout the vast expanse of nothingness that is open space, are these tiny chaotic swirls of beauty and life, galaxies like our very own Milky Way, which are home for various planets not too different from our own. As we progress and develop as a species, our thirst for knowledge also increases and we strive to move further and further out into the universe to see what's out there waiting for us. Here's just a glimpse of some of the beautifully strange and wonderfully odd galaxies that our wandering eyes have managed to find, all of which remind us of the beauty we still have left to discover.
1. Galaxy NGC 1448, which contains 4 supernovae and has a supermassive black hole at its center
(Flickr)
2. The Sombrero Galaxy (officially named NGC 4594, and known as M104 or Messier 104), one of the largest galaxies in the constellation Virgo
(Flickr)
3. Galaxy NGC 4651, a cannibal galaxy that consumes smaller galaxies
(Flickr)
4. Galaxy NGC 6872, a cluster located in the constellation Pavo, the Peacock
(Flickr)
5. Galaxy NGC 1275, home to an active supermassive black home
(By Marie-Lou Gendron-Marsolais (Université de Montréal), Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo (Université de Montréal), Maxime Pivin Lapointe, Wikimedia Commons)
6. The Vermin Galaxy, as it aligns with the star HD 107146
(By ESA/Hubble, Wikimedia Commons)
7. Kiso 5639, a dwarf galaxy that resembles a 4th of July skyrocket
(Flickr)
8. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31, or NGC 224), the nearest galaxy to the Milky Way
(Flickr)
9. Galaxy NGC 7674, one of two galaxies that contain two black holes
(By NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage and A. Evans, Wikimedia Commons)
10. Collision of the spiral galaxies NGC 2207 (left) and IC 2163 (right)
(Flickr)
11. Galaxy NGC 1512, a galaxy known for high volumes of starbursts, the birth of new clusters of stars
(Flickr)
12. Messier 94 (also known as galaxy M94 and NGC 4736), a galaxy with a rare two-ring structure
(By R Jay Gabany, Wikimedia Commons)
13. Galaxy W2246-0526, the most luminous known galaxy in the universe, 350 trillion times brighter than the sun
(By (NRAO/AUI/NSF) S. Dagnello, Wikimedia Commons)
14. Hoag’s Object, an unusual ring galaxy with a yellow nucleus
(By NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team, Wikimedia Commons)
15. The Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as Messier 101, M101 or NGC 5457)
(By ESA/Hubble, Wikimedia Commons)
16. The Sunflower Galaxy (NGC 5055, better known as Messier 63 or M63)
(By Jschulman555, Wikimedia Commons)
17. The Grand Whirlpool Galaxy (designated M51, Messier 51 and NGC 5194)
(Flickr)
18. Galaxy NGC 6217, a barred spiral galaxy found in the Ursa Minor constellation
(By NASA, Wikimedia Commons)
19. Galaxy NGC 7049, the brightest galaxy in the Indus constellation known for its unusual ringed shape
(By NASA/ESA/Hubble Space Telescope, Wikimedia Commons)
20. Galaxy ESO 137-001, which is stripped by hot gas as it moves, creating a trail that gives it a jellyfish-like appearance
(By ESA/Hubble, Wikimedia Commons)
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