Galaxies

Galaxy morphology, rotation curves, and large-scale structure. Investigate how galaxies are organized and what their dynamics reveal about dark matter.

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Galaxy Rotation Curves

Key idea: Explore why spiral-galaxy rotation curves stay nearly flat at large radius and what that implies about dark matter across scales.

Explore why spiral-galaxy rotation curves stay nearly flat at large radius and what that implies about dark matter across scales.

near-ready Galaxies Cosmology Data & Inference 10–20 min Both

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Key concepts

Learning goals aggregated from all exhibits in this topic.

Interpret galaxy rotation curves as velocity-versus-radius observables inferred from Doppler measurements.
Compare visible-matter-only Keplerian predictions to flat observed curves and infer missing mass.
Relate bulge, disk, and halo component models to total curve shape and enclosed-mass growth.
Use baryon fraction and dark-to-visible ratio readouts to reason about mass budgets at large radius.