Irregular Galaxy NGC 2337

This galaxy, known as NGC 2337, resides 25 million light-years away in the constellation of Lynx. NGC 2337 is an irregular galaxy, meaning that it — along with a quarter of all galaxies in the universe — lacks a distinct, regular appearance. Although not as photogenic as spiral galaxies, astronomers consider them to be very important. Some may form the building blocks of larger, more regular galaxies, and some may themselves be the result of earlier galactic mergers. As such, irregular galaxies provide astronomers with valuable information about galactic interaction and evolution. As a point of illustration, gravitational interactions between galaxies can kickstart star formation activity within the affected galaxies, which may explain the pockets of blue light scattered throughout NGC 2337. These patches and knots of blue signal the presence of young, newly formed, hot stars.