Facts about Cartwheel Galaxy

1. 07

   Multiple concentric spokes radiate outward from the Cartwheel Galaxy's nucleus like a wagon wheel, with these structural features thought to represent density waves propagating through the galactic disk.

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2. 06

   X-ray emissions from the Cartwheel Galaxy reveal shock waves traveling outward through the ring at velocities exceeding 1,000 kilometers per second, heating gas to millions of degrees.

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3. 05

   At infrared wavelengths, observations show the Cartwheel Galaxy's spokes contain substantial amounts of dust that obscure visible light but reveal intricate structure in longer wavelengths.

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4. 04

   Hubble Space Telescope observations reveal the Cartwheel Galaxy's central hub contains a supermassive black hole with approximately 100 million solar masses.

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5. 03

   Intense star formation in the Cartwheel Galaxy's outer ring produces approximately 10 times more stars per year than the Milky Way currently does.

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6. 02

   Located approximately 500 million light-years away, the Cartwheel Galaxy spans roughly 150,000 light-years in diameter, making it comparable in size to the Milky Way.

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7. 01

   The Cartwheel Galaxy's distinctive ring structure formed approximately 200 million years ago following a collision with a smaller galaxy.

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