SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY

Universe Slightly Simpler Than Expected (Space Daily, Jun 22, 2003)

The universe just became a little less mysterious. Using images from the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers at the University of Florida have concluded that two of the most common types of galaxies in the universe are in reality different versions of the same thing.

In spite of their similar-sounding names, astronomers had for decades considered "dwarf elliptical" and "giant elliptical" galaxies to be unique.

The findings, which appear in this month's edition of The Astronomical Journal, fundamentally alter astronomers' understanding of these important components of the universe, making it easier to understand how galaxies form in the first place.

"This helps to simplify the universe because we replace two distinct galaxy types with one," said Alister Graham, a UF astronomer and lead author of the paper.

If you'd already invented the wheel, why would you reinvent it? Posted by Orrin Judd at June 24, 2003 9:08 AM