Galaxy Morphology and Classification

The classification of galaxies according to their shape is a fundamental tool in astronomy. It is through classification schemes that astronomers build a deeper understanding of how galaxies form and evolve. This long-awaited book by one of the pioneers of the field provides a concise and up-to-date summary of current ideas about galaxy morphology and classification. This is the first book dedicated entirely to the shape and classification of galaxies. It introduces the most widely used schemes, explains how they have developed and what they can tell us about galaxies. The author shows how very distant galaxies (seen with the Hubble Space Telescope, for instance) often defy standard classification schemes. Finally, he looks at recent work on the use of computers to automatically classify digital images of galaxies. This topical volume provides graduate students and researchers with a unique and indispensable reference on the classification and shape of galaxies.