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Old 15-05-2011, 12:37 AM
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madbadgalaxyman (Robert)
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Brisbane
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That was a good observation by Mr "Renormalised" that
NGC 5078 resembles a squashed version of NGC 5128.

Both galaxies do contain a very prominent bulge or spheroidal component and both galaxies also contain a relatively small disk component (that is, a circular and planar component).
In the case of NGC5128, the inferred three-dimensional structure of its dust lane has proved that this disk component is actually a barred-spiral type of structure that is made of dust & interstellar gas & stars..... and that this approximately planar structure slices straight through the middle of the elliptical component.

However, the disk/planar component of NGC 5128 aligns exactly with its minor axis (the short axis of the ellipsoidal component), which is the usual case for dust-lane elliptical galaxies.
In contrast, NGC 5078, which is probably an type S0 galaxy, (or, alternatively, the "fence-sitting" S0/a galaxy type which is between an S0 galaxy and an Sa galaxy), has a disk component that aligns with its major axis (Long axis).

In both galaxies, the dust structures are not yet settled, and both galaxies have primary large-scale dust lanes that show strong evidence of bending or tilting (non-planar structures).

cheers,
madbadgalaxyman
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