Hoag’s Object

Hoag’s Object is a ring galaxy in the constellation of Serpens.

Hoag’s Object is a strange yet beautiful ring galaxy discovered in the 1950’s by it’s namesake Arthur Hoag. The ring makes up billions of hot blue stars.

Hoag’s Object outside of it’s outer blue ring, is also made up of an inner yellow circle called the nucleus. The galaxy is unique in the fact that the inner and outer circles of stars are separated even quiet and even and large distance from each other, and although the likelihood is that there are star clusters between the circles of stars, they are obviously too faint to see.  

Scientists have been trying to figure out this particular galaxy for years in terms of it’s structure and how it was formed as it’s so interesting and it’s also so great to look at and observe.  

Key Data

Size: 60,000 plus light years.

Star Population: 8 billion.

Distance from Earth: 600 million light years.

Galaxy Type: Ring.

Constellation: Serpens.

Kids Fun Facts Corner

# 1. Hoag’s Object was discovered in 1950 by Arthur Hoag.  

# 2. Hoag’s Object is larger than the Milky Way galaxy by 25%.

# 3. In Hoag’s Object, the red/yellow inner stars are old and the blue outer stars are young.

Q&A Corner

Q. What color stars in Hoag’s Object are young and what color are old ?

Q. What is the size of Hoag’s Object?

Q. What type of galaxy is Hoag’s Object?

Q. What constellation is Hoag’s Object in? 

Q. How much larger by % is Hoag’s Object compared to the Milky Way?

Download questions about the Hoag’s Object here: Hoag’s Object   (answer are on this page)

For further reading and more information on Hoag’s Object visit http://www.astronomy.com/magazine/weirdest-objects/2015/11/7-hoags-object