Galactic halo
Spherical component of a galaxy which extends beyond the main, visible component / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A galactic halo is an extended, roughly spherical component of a galaxy which extends beyond the main, visible component.[1] Several distinct components of a galaxy comprise its halo:[2][3]
- the stellar halo
- the galactic corona (hot gas, i.e. a plasma)
- the dark matter halo
The distinction between the halo and the main body of the galaxy is clearest in spiral galaxies, where the spherical shape of the halo contrasts with the flat disc. In an elliptical galaxy, there is no sharp transition between the other components of the galaxy and the halo.
A halo can be studied by observing its effect on the passage of light from distant bright objects like quasars that are in line of sight beyond the galaxy in question.[4]