Explanation: Are these two galaxies really attracted to each other? Yes, gravitationally, and the result appears as an enormous iconic heart -- at least for now. Pictured is the pair of galaxies cataloged as NGC 4038 and NGC 4039,known as the Antennae Galaxies. Because they are only 60 million light years away, close by intergalactic standards, the pair is one of the best studied interacting galaxies on the night sky. Their strong attraction began about a billion years ago when they passed unusually close to each other. As the two galaxies interact, their stars rarely collide, but new stars are formed when their interstellar gases crash together. Some new stars have already formed, for example, in the long antennae seen extending out from the sides of the dancing duo. By the time the galaxy merger is complete, likely over a billion years from now, billions of new stars may have formed.

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Публикации с ключевыми словами: NGC 4038 - NGC 4039 - antenna galaxy - галактика Антенна Публикации со словами: NGC 4038 - NGC 4039 - antenna galaxy - галактика Антенна
См. также: Изучая Антенны Спиральная галактика NGC 4038 во время столкновения Изучая Антенны Антенны Столкновение галактик Антенны Рентгеновское излучение галактик Антенны Рентгеновское излучение из галактик Антенны Все публикации на ту же тему >>