NGC 2685

NGC 2685, also known as the Helix Galaxy or Arp 336, is a lenticular galaxy located approximately 40 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. It is classified as a peculiar galaxy due to its unusual morphology, exhibiting prominent polar rings of gas and stars orbiting perpendicular to the main galactic disk.

These polar rings are believed to be the result of a past galactic merger or interaction. The material in the rings likely originated from the cannibalization of a smaller galaxy or a tidal interaction with another galaxy, depositing gas and dust into a configuration that is gravitationally stable in a polar orbit.

The rings of NGC 2685 contain a significant amount of neutral hydrogen gas and dust, indicating ongoing star formation. This ongoing star formation contrasts with the overall lenticular nature of the galaxy, which is typically characterized by older stellar populations and a lack of active star formation in the main disk.

Studies of NGC 2685 have provided valuable insights into the processes of galactic mergers, tidal interactions, and the formation of polar ring galaxies. Its unique structure makes it a subject of continuing astronomical research and observation.