astronomy

Malin 1

Malin 1 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Malin 1 rather than just read about it. In short: Malin 1 is a giant low surface brightness (LSB) spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices. It is located 1.19 billion light-years (366 Mpc) away near the North Galactic Pole, and is one of the largest known spiral galaxies, with an approximate diameter of 650,000 light-years (200,000 pc); this makes Malin 1 over six times the diameter of our Milky Way.

Key takeaways

Malin 1 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Malin 1 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Malin 1 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Malin 1 is a giant low surface brightness (LSB) spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices. It is located 1.19 billion light-years (366 Mpc) away near the North Galactic Pole, and is one of the largest known spiral galaxies, with an approximate diameter of 650,000 light-years (200,000 pc); this makes Malin 1 over six times the diameter of our Milky Way. It was discovered by astronomer David Malin in 1986, from which it derives its name, and is the first LSB galaxy verified to exist. Its bright center, an SB0a-type barred-spiral, is 30,000 light-years (9,200 pc) across, with a bulge of 10,000 light-years (3,100 pc).

Structure The galaxy exhibits giant and very faint spiral arms, with some segments estimated to be nearly 650,000 light-years (200,000 pc) in diameter. Observations by Galaz et al. in April 2014 revealed a detailed view of the spiral structure of Malin 1 in optical bands. Other details, such as possible stellar streams and formation regions, are revealed as well. Malin 1 is unique in several ways: its diameter alone makes it the largest barred spiral galaxy ever to have been observed. Furthermore, it was found to possibly be interacting with two other galaxies, Malin 1B and SDSS J123708.91+142253.2; Malin 1B is estimated to be located 46,000 light-years (14,000 pc) away from the high surface brightness central spiral of Malin 1, which may be responsible for the formation of the galaxy's central bar. Meanwhile, SDSS J123708.91+142253.2 is located within the huge, faint halo of Malin 1 and might have caused the formation of the extended low surface brightness disc through tidal stripping.

Malin 1B Malin 1B is a possible companion galaxy located at 2h 36m 58.89s and +14◦ 19′ 43.9′′ that may have interacted with Malin 1 and influenced its unusually large structure. It is primarily composed of intergalactic filament, likely as an originally larger galaxy that shrank due to the tidal forces that it experienced during its merger with Malin 1.

Gallery

See also List of largest galaxies NGC 262, spiral galaxy surrounded by a huge H I cloud NGC 6872, large interacting barred spiral galaxy claimed in 2013 as largest spiral galaxy UGC 2885, a large unbarred spiral galaxy

Notes

References

External links Media related to Malin 1 at Wikimedia Commons

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Malin 1

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Malin 1 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Malin 1 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Malin 1 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Malin 1

In research: Malin 1 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Malin 1 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Malin 1 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1986, Barred spiral galaxies, Coma Berenices, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Malin 1 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Malin 1 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Malin 1 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Malin 1 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Malin 1 in simple terms?

Why does Malin 1 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Malin 1?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Malin 1.