Two spiral galaxies can be observed merging together.

Credits Image: NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image

On the left side of the image, two spiral galaxies can be observed merging together. One of them is seen directly facing the viewer, displaying a circular shape. The other galaxy appears to be positioned in front of the first one, tilted away from the viewer, and exhibiting a partially warped disc shape. In the lower-left corner, although partially obscured by the frame, a sizable elliptical galaxy is visible, emanating light from a single point. Additionally, numerous small galaxies populate the background, creating a diverse celestial backdrop.

 Arp 122, the subject of this Hubble Picture of the Week, showcases an intriguing phenomenon in the universe. It involves the collision of two distinct galaxies, NGC 6040 and LEDA 59642. NGC 6040 is a tilted, warped spiral galaxy, while LEDA 59642 is a round, face-on spiral galaxy. This cosmic encounter, which is quite dramatic, is occurring at a remarkably safe distance of approximately 570 million light-years away from Earth. Additionally, we can observe the elliptical galaxy NGC 6041 in the corner, which is a central member of the galaxy cluster where Arp 122 resides. However, NGC 6041 is not actively participating in this colossal merger.

Galactic collisions and mergers are incredibly energetic and captivating events, but they unfold over an extended period of time. For instance, our very own Milky Way is projected to collide with its closest galactic neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31).

Our ESA/Hubble Picture of the Week features the peculiar galaxy Arp 122 🥴🌌. Read more: https://t.co/SxhgvxKSsg or 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/lwjW0JQaUP

— HUBBLE (@HUBBLE_space) January 8, 2024

 

However, these two galaxies still have around four billion years before their actual encounter. The process of colliding and merging will also be a gradual one, potentially taking hundreds of millions of years to fully unfold. The immense distances involved in these collisions contribute to their lengthy duration.

Galaxies consist of stars, solar systems, dust, and gas. During galactic collisions, these constituent components undergo significant changes in the gravitational forces acting upon them. Over time, this leads to a complete transformation in the structure of the colliding galaxies, potentially resulting in the formation of a single, merged galaxy. This image may capture the aftermath of such a collision, where the resulting galaxy is expected to have a regular or elliptical structure. This is because the merging process tends to disrupt more complex structures, such as those observed in spiral galaxies.

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