Protogalaxies

This artist's impression depicts a protogalaxy, which could also be called a "primeval galaxy". A protogalaxy is a cloud of gas which is forming into a galaxy. It is believed that the rate of star formation during this period of galactic evolution will determine whether a galaxy is spiral or elliptical; a slower star formation tends to produce a spiral galaxy. The smaller clumps of gas in a protogalaxy form into stars.