Elliptical Galaxy NGC 4881 in Coma
Elliptical galaxies are unlike spiral galaxies
and hence unlike our own Milky Way Galaxy.
The giant elliptical galaxy
named NGC 4881 on the upper left lies at the edge of the giant
Coma Cluster of Galaxies.
Elliptical galaxies are ellipsoidal in shape, contain no
spiral arms,
contain little interstellar gas or
dust,
and are found mostly in rich clusters of galaxies.
Elliptical galaxies appear
typically yellow-red, as opposed to
spirals which have spiral arms that appear quite blue.
Much speculation continues on
how each type of galaxy can form,
on whether ellipticals can evolve from colliding
spirals,
or spirals can be created from colliding ellipticals, or both.
Besides the spiral galaxy on the right, all other images in
this picture are of galaxies that lie well behind the Coma Cluster.