Galaxy shape detectives
20 minutes · Paper · Pencil · Colored pencils
Your investigation
- Draw three galaxies: a spiral with arms, a rounded ellipse, and an irregular shape.
- Draw the same thin spiral disk from its edge and from above. Label them as two views of one model.
- Add small dots for stars and shaded patches for gas or dust.
- Write a question that a single flat drawing cannot answer.
Think, draw, explain
Can different viewing directions change apparent shape?
Is a galaxy the same kind of object as a star?
Grown-up guide & possible answers
- Yes. A disk viewed edge-on can look narrow; viewed from above its spiral structure may be visible.
- No. A galaxy is a vast gravitationally bound system containing many stars and other material. Exact shapes in drawings are simplified.