Spindle Galaxy

The Spindle Galaxy (NGC 5866, thought by some to be the nebula M102 of the original Messier Catalog) is a spiral galaxy (or possibly lenticular) about 50 million light-years' distant. Its galaxy classification is indefinite because our view is edge-on and it may have spirals that aren't visible to us. The edge-on view makes a disk of dust evident and it has evident star formation, characteristics of spiral galaxies.

The term spindle generally refers a slender rotating device, such as a part of a woodworking tool, and the name Spindle Galaxy is undoubtedly because our view of it has the look of such a spindle, given our edge-on view. Undoubtedly the galaxy's real shape is a disk rather than a spindle.