Arp 81: 100 Million Years Later
Explanation:
From
planet Earth, we see this strongly distorted
pair of
galaxies, cataloged as
Arp
81, as they were only about 100 million
years after their close encounter.
The havoc wreaked
by their mutual gravitational interaction during the encounter is
detailed in this color composite image
showing twisted streams of gas and dust, a chaos of massive
star formation,
and a
tidal tail
stretching for 200 thousand light-years or so as it
sweeps behind the
cosmic wreckage.
Also known as NGC 6622 (left) and NGC 6621, the galaxies are
roughly equal in size but are
destined to merge
into one large galaxy in the
distant future, making repeated approaches until they finally
coalesce.
Located in the constellation
Draco,
the galaxies are 280 million
light-years away.
Even more distant background galaxies can be spotted in
this sharp, reprocessed, image from Hubble Legacy Archive data.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
