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Galaxy vs Protogalaxy - What's the difference?

galaxy | protogalaxy |

As nouns the difference between galaxy and protogalaxy

is that galaxy is the Milky Way; the apparent band of concentrated stars which appears in the night sky over earth while protogalaxy is a cloud of gas which is starting to form a galaxy.

As a proper noun Galaxy

is the Milky Way Galaxy, from when it was thought the Universe (our universe) had only one galaxy.

galaxy

English

Noun

(galaxies)
  • * 1633 , John Donne, "Sapho to Philænis":
    • So may thy cheekes red outweare scarlet dye, / And their white, whitenesse of the Galaxie [...].
  • (galaxy) Any of the collections of many millions of stars, galactic dust, black holes, etc. existing as independent and coherent systems, of which there are billions in the known universe.

    • Synonyms

    * (astronomy) G (abbreviation)

    Derived terms

    * active galaxy * dwarf galaxy * elliptical galaxy * extragalactic * galactic * galaxy cluster / cluster of galaxies * galaxy filament / filament of galaxies * galaxy nucleus * galaxy sheet / sheet of galaxies * galaxy wall / wall of galaxies * irregular galaxy * lenticular galaxy * spiral galaxy * whirlpool galaxy

    protogalaxy

    English

    Noun

    (protogalaxies)
  • A cloud of gas which is starting to form a galaxy.