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Credit & Copyright: ACS Science & Engineering Team,
NASA
Explanation:
These two mighty galaxies are pulling each other apart.
Known as "The Mice" because they have such long tails, each
spiral galaxy
has likely already passed through the other.
They will probably collide again and again until they coalesce.
The long
tails are created by the relative
difference between gravitational pulls
on the near and far parts of each galaxy.
Because the distances are so large,
the cosmic interaction takes place in slow motion --
over hundreds of millions of years.
NGC 4676
lies about 300 million
light-years away toward the constellation of
Coma Berenices and are
likely members
of the Coma Cluster of Galaxies.
The above picture was taken with the
Hubble Space Telescope's
Advanced Camera for Surveys
which is more sensitive and images a larger field than
previous Hubble cameras.
The camera's increased sensitivity has imaged, serendipitously,
galaxies far
in the distance scattered about the frame.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: NGC 4676 - The Mice - colliding galaxies
Publications with words: NGC 4676 - The Mice - colliding galaxies
See also:
- APOD: 2024 July 30 Á Arp 142: Interacting Galaxies from Webb
- APOD: 2023 September 25 Á Arp 142: The Hummingbird Galaxy
- APOD: 2023 January 23 Á The Colliding Spiral Galaxies of Arp 274
- Galaxy Wars: M81 and M82
- NGC 1316: After Galaxies Collide
- NGC 4676: When Mice Collide
- NGC 520: Colliding Galaxies from Hubble