Credits Image: NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image |
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
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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