http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/howdoesmygalaxygrow
Pinwheels, lenses and eggs: a gallery of galactic shapes
The universe's galaxies are the nurseries of stars, and in one known case life, and come in an impressive range of shapes and sizes. But only recently has it become possible to simulate how that diversity came about.
Explore the images below to discover the different kinds of galaxy in the universe, and read our feature to learn how astronomers are starting to
build their own virtual galaxies using complex simulations.