The Rectangular Galaxy
Most galaxies are in the form of ellipticals, spirals, and irregular blobs, but not LEDA 074886. The dwarf galaxy 70 million light-years away is rectangular:
Link[Professor Alister Graham of Swinburne University of Technology] said the rare rectangular-shaped galaxy was a very unusual object. "It's one of those things that just makes you smile because it shouldn't exist, or rather you don't expect it to exist.
"It's a little like the precarious Leaning Tower of Pisa or the discovery of some exotic new species which at first glance appears to defy the laws of nature."
The unusually shaped galaxy was detected in a wide field-of-view image taken with the Japanese Subaru Telescope for an unrelated program by Swinburne astrophysicist Dr Lee Spitler.
The astronomers suspect it is unlikely that this galaxy is shaped like a cube. Instead, they believe that it may resemble an inflated disc seen side on, like a short cylinder.
