Lenticular Galaxy

Example: NGC 5866

A lens-shaped galaxy with a disc and central bulge but no spiral arms, between a spiral and an elliptical.

Key facts

Shape: Disc and bulge, no spiral arms
Stars: Mostly older stars
Example shown: NGC 5866
Example’s distance: About 45 million light-years

About the Lenticular Galaxy

How to recognise it

Lenticular galaxies have a central bulge and a flat disc like a spiral, but no arms. Like ellipticals, they contain mostly older stars and form few new ones. Seen edge-on, they look like a lens or spindle.

The example: NGC 5866

NGC 5866 is about 45 million light-years away in the constellation Draco. We see it edge-on, with a thin dark lane of dust cutting through its glowing disc. Astronomers are not sure how lenticular galaxies form: they may be spirals whose arms have faded, or the result of mergers.