Hubble Space Telescope Spots Colliding Galaxy Pair

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a spectacular image of two interacting spiral galaxies: NGC 2798 and NGC 2799.

Collectively called Arp 283, the galaxy duo lies approximately 81 million light-years away in the constellation of Lynx.

It is a member of the Arp catalog of peculiar galaxies observed by the American astronomer Halton Arp in the 1960s.

The interacting pair contains two barred spiral galaxies: NGC 2798 and NGC 2799.

“Interacting galaxies, such as these, are so named because of the influence they have on each other, which may eventually result in a merger or a unique formation,” Hubble astronomers explained.

“Already, these two galaxies have seemingly formed a sideways waterspout, with stars from NGC 2799 appearing to fall into NGC 2798 almost like drops of water.”

“Galactic mergers can take place over several hundred million to over a billion years,” they said.

Continued...
Source

Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / SDSS / J. Dalcanton / Judy Schmidt

This Hubble image shows interacting galaxies NGC 2798 (right) and NGC 2799 (left). The color image includes optical and near-infrared observations from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).

Three filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.

Source / Image Courtesy

NGC 2207 is a pair of colliding spiral galaxies.

Their bright central nuclei resemble a striking set of eyes. In visible light, trails of stars and gas trace out spiral arms, stretched by the tidal pull between the galaxies.