Galaxies of a Lesser Light:

The Evolution and Mass Distribution

of the Universe

An Article by:

RAdm. R.M. Wey

and FCapt. D.L. Wey

Even before the recording of history, and the keeping of records, has man been fascinated by the vault of stars that hang majestically overhead. However, it wasn’t until the beginning of the twentieth century that technology made it possible to ‘see’ beyond the confines of our own Milky Way.

From this humble beginning, the science of astronomy has labored to discern and classify the various galaxies observed. Galaxies are classified as one of three types: Elliptical, spiral and irregular. The down side of this is that, with the exception of only minor refinements, this system has not changed since the first decades of the twentieth century.

The technological advances, on the other hand, have been improved steadily so that scientists can now ‘see’ into areas of the cosmos before unnoticed. Observations made into areas of the night sky before unvisited have revealed galaxies of the same general shape, but far less luminescent than those observed in other quadrants of the sky.

It has been theorized that, such celestial bodies may be as numerous as all the other galaxies combined. Though not numerous enough to account for the ‘missing’ mass of the universe, they may yet hold the key to the baryonic mass of galaxies.

A low-surface brightness galaxy identified as Malin1, was found to dwarf the size of the Milky Way; Discovered some eight hundred million light years away, if this galaxy were as close to us as the spiral galaxy Andromeda, it would cover an arc of the sky 0f twenty degrees. Some forty times the apparent width of the full moon and consequently the largest LSB galaxy thus far discovered.

A LSB galaxy designated Malin2, was located some four hundred and fifty million light years distant, with a scale length of fifteen kiloparsecs[a parsec(or three point two six light years, or three point oh eight five seven times ten to the sixteen power meters)is a unit of measurement from earth where stellar parallax is one second of arc], it is approximately five times the size of the Milky Way[or about five hundred thousand light years in diameter].

The scale changes dramatically with the change of Magnitude[the brightest stars designated magnitude minus one point four and the dimmest magnitude six], a change of one unit in magnitude is equal to an increase in apparent brightness of two point five one two.

As a result of the observations made, some one thousand objects have been located which are believed to be LSB’s[there is still some debate as to their classification]. The most fascinating factoid to come from this is that there seem to be as many diffuse galaxies with magnitudes equal to the most common variety.

In the closing of the twentieth century, more than any other point in history, the door was opened onto the evolution of galaxies and the distribution of matter in the universe, and yet, for every possible answer to a question, there seems to be no end to the questions that follow. Let us hope it shall always be so.