NGC 4622 is a galaxy approximately 111 million light-years away from the earth, in the general direction of the constellation Centaurus.

As a galaxy rotates in outer space, its gravity field traps gas, dust, stars and other space particles. As the center of the galaxy spins, the outside of the galaxy also spins, but at a slower rate. Basically, the gravity from the center of the galaxy drags the cloud of debris around it. This debris usually forms spiral arms around the center of the galaxy. The effect looks vaguely like a pinwheel.

The thing that baffles astronomers about NGC 4622 is that it's spiral arms are going in the wrong direction. Or maybe the galaxy is spinning in the wrong direction. Either way, the galaxy is spinning in the direction its spiral arms are pointing. This is completely opposite from what would be expected.

One last baffling aspect of NGC 4622 is the presence of an inner spiral arm that trails in the expected direction. So, this means that this spinning galaxy has spiral arms that run both clockwise and counter clockwise.

There is evidence (asymmetrical spiral arms and a dust lane across the center of the galaxy) that some major disturbance has recently taken place in NGC 4622, possibly a collision with, and subsequent consumption of a smaller galaxy.

The implications of this are that basically, we still don't have a clue about what is going on out there in outer space.

photo: http://elluzion.net/img/NGC-4622.jpg

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