a galaxy consisting of an ellipsoidal nucleus of old stars from opposite sides of which arms, containing younger stars, spiral outwards around the nucleus. In a barred spiral, the arms originate at the ends of a bar-shaped nucleus
spiral galaxy in American English
a galaxy having the visible form of a spiral
: also spiral nebula
Examples of 'spiral galaxy' in a sentence
spiral galaxy
The stars moved in graceful swirls, sliding down the sides of artificial night until a single spiral galaxy filled the viewing area.