A flocculent spiral galaxy is a type of spiral galaxy. Unlike the well-defined spiral architecture of a grand design spiral galaxy, flocculent (meaning "fluffy") galaxies are patchy, with discontinuous spiral arms.COSMOS – SAO Encyclopedia of Astronomy, "Grand Design Spiral" (Retrieved 23 April 2010)COSMOS – SAO Encyclopedia of Astronomy, "Flocculent Spiral" (Retrieved 23 April 2010) Self-propagating star formation is the apparent explanation for the structure of flocculent spirals. Approximately 30% of spirals are flocculent, 10% are grand design, and the rest are referred to as "multi-armed".Case Western Reserve University, Chris Mihos, ASTR222 – Spring 2008, "Spiral Structure" (Retrieved 23 April 2010) The multiple-arm type is sometimes grouped into the flocculent category.University of Virginia, Mark Whittle, ASTR 553/554 : Extragalactic Astronomy (2007), "Lecture 5: Spiral Galaxies". (Retrieved 23 April 2010).
The prototypical flocculent spiral is NGC 2841."A Near-Infrared Atlas of Spiral Galaxies", Debra Meloy Elmegreen, "CH3. Discussion" (Retrieved 23 April 2010)
List of flocculent spiral galaxies Example Class Image Constellation NotesNGC 1325SBbcEridanusNGC 1353SBbEridanus NGC 2775 SA(r)ab Cancer NGC 2841 SA(r)b Ursa Major NGC 3521 SAB(r s)bc Leo NGC 4298 SA(r s)c Coma Berenices NGC 4414 SA(r s)c Coma Berenices NGC 7793 SA(s)d Sculptor Sunflower Galaxy(Messier 63) SAB(r s)cd Canes Venatici NASA (2015). . Retrieved 2 March 2017
References
Sources PDF A Near-Infrared Atlas of Spiral Galaxies, Debra Meloy Elmegreen, 1981, ,
External links
COSMOS astronomy encyclopedia – Flocculent Spiral