PSci 21 Lab
Classification of Galaxies

Bring up SkyView (at http://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov/skyview.html), and
select the ``Basic" interface.  Select ``Digitized Sky Survey" for optical
images. In the box near the top that says ``Coordinates or Source", type
in the names of the following galaxies, and hit return after each one.  
SkyView displays actual pictures of these galaxies, scanned from Palomar
Observatory Sky Survey photographs.  Upon displaying them, classify their
morphologies (shapes), using the Hubble classification sequence,
illustrated at:
http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~fringwal/gal_tuningfrk.html , and at:
http://www.astr.ua.edu/preprints/white/gal_tuningfrk.html .

M51
M74
M104
M87 
M59 
M60
NGC 4647
NGC 5128
NGC 5364
NGC 1365
NGC 2403
NGC 1300
NGC 4565
NGC 6027
NGC 2523
M89
NGC 4216
NGC 4567
NGC 4568
NGC 4435
NGC 4438

In systems where you see more than one galaxy, classify them all, making
up a sensible scheme of your own to designate which is which. Don't worry
overly about getting the ``right'' classifications: what's important is
that you present some evidence that you looked at these galaxies
carefully, and thought about them.  The real Universe is messy: often,
things don't fit into the neat pigeonholes we humans make for them.  If
you find any galaxies that don't fit into any of these categories, they
can still be classified as "Irr," or Irregular.

Feel free to have some fun, and type in the names of your own favorite
galaxies, or other objects.  This is what the Universe really looks like:
SkyView really is a ``Virtual Telescope.'' Think about the many eyes,
inside these galaxies, that may be looking back at you. Might there be
someone there who's doing a similar assignment?