Generally, large galaxies are either ellipticals or spirals. The difference between the two types is easy to see in this image. The giant elliptical NGC 4647 appears featureless, without internal structure (the haze around the galaxy consists of billions of stars); it is an E2 elliptical. By comparison, the spiral NGC 4649ΓÇöwith its particularly fine spiral structure, its blue tint characteristic of newborn stars, and its white associated with older onesΓÇöis almost intricate.
