protogalaxy

[ proh-toh-gal-uhk-see, proh-toh-gal- ]

noun

, Astronomy.

, plural pro·to·gal·ax·ies.

1. the large concentration of gas and dust from which a galaxy is formed.

protogalaxy

/ ˌprəʊtəʊˈɡæləksɪ /

noun

1. a cloud of gas in the early stages of its evolution into a galaxy

Word History and Origins

Origin of protogalaxy¹

First recorded in 1945–50; proto- + galaxy

Example Sentences

When its dark matter power source gives out, a dark star would quickly collapse into a 1-million-solar-mass black hole—a perfect large seed ready to be adopted by a nearby protogalaxy.

From Science Magazine

As the first stars in a protogalaxy begin to shine, they inject more heat into the gas, pumping the brakes on further star formation.

From Science Magazine

Dr. Wolfe concentrated on detecting the gas in the protogalaxy disks by seeing how it affected the light from even more distant quasars.

From New York Times

If they were faster, and could move easily beyond the dimensions of a protogalaxy, many structures visible today would have been washed out.

From Nature