Celestia Forums

I know that currently that Celestia currently uses the classical Hubble models for Galaxy type (listed below)
Elliptical Galaxy Series = E0, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7
Lenticular Galaxy Series = S0a, S0b, S0c, S0d
Spiral Galaxy Series = Sa, Sb, Sc,
Bar Spiral Galaxy Series = SBa, SBb, SBc
Irregular Galaxies = Irr

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_classification

However in light of recent events about our own Milky Way galaxy, I think that the types of galaxies currently used in Celestia should be expanded to include some of the more intermediary (mixed) galaxy types namely the weak barred spiral which is the type of galaxy our galaxy is.

Below is an artist?€™s rendition of what our current galaxy might look like using the most recent information. The Galaxy is a SB(rs)bc where (rs) means that it has a weak center ring.


http://www.seds.org/messier/more/mw_type.html

I don?€™t know if it would be easier to create templates for the galaxy or to create some sort of generation engine, but either would be an improvement for future releases.

Reference Link: http://www.celestiaproject.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7012

It is certainly planned to extend the basic Hubble scheme.
Also the possibility of adding specific custom galaxies is
an option. A problematic point is that there are several
extended Hubble schemes in use, while the basic one is
unique.

But all this also means many more galaxy templates, more
needed storage, more to download etc...In my view the
next step would rather be to address the rendering of the
rest of the revised NGC/IC catalog: clusters and nebulae. A
Universe only filled with galaxies is certainly not quite right


Bye Fridger

PS: That familiar 'artists' view of our Milky Way I do not
find particularly copy-worthy. I have never seen such a
galaxy anywhere...But the basic point is correct that our
Milky Way is of SBbc type.