# Elliptical galaxy

A smooth, featureless galaxy of mostly old stars, shaped like a ball or a squashed oval.

Ellipticals have little gas or dust left to make new stars, so they're full of old, yellowish stars and show no arms. They range from dwarfs like M 32 (a companion of Andromeda) to giants like M 87 in the Virgo [cluster](https://astropilot.space/glossary/galaxy-group), which holds trillions of stars and a famous black hole.

In a telescope they look like evenly glowing ovals that brighten smoothly towards the centre.

**Examples:** [M87](https://astropilot.space/object/M87.md), [M32](https://astropilot.space/object/M32.md), [M49](https://astropilot.space/object/M49.md), [M110](https://astropilot.space/object/M110.md)

**Related:** [Galaxy](https://astropilot.space/glossary/galaxy.md), [Hubble type](https://astropilot.space/glossary/hubble-type.md), [Spiral galaxy](https://astropilot.space/glossary/spiral-galaxy.md)

From the AstroPilot astronomy glossary: https://astropilot.space/glossary/elliptical-galaxy