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How Do Galaxies Stay Intact?

-- | August 1, 2015

Question: Do black holes spin? What makes galaxies stay semi organised while precessing around it? I don’t know how else to word that. Physics is hard. — Nathan

Answer: Yes, it is believed that black holes do spin. The stars in galaxies stay organized over long periods of time while the galaxy rotates due to the mutual gravitational attraction of the stars, gas, and dust in galaxies. That gravitational force balances any forces that might pull a galaxy apart, making the galaxy maintain a stable configuration over many millions of years.

Jeff Mangum

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