Posted on 08/29/2011 12:16:02 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: Scanning the skies for galaxies, Canadian astronomer Paul Hickson and colleagues identified some 100 compact groups of galaxies, now appropriately called Hickson Compact Groups. The four prominent galaxies seen in this intriguing telescopic skyscape are one such group, Hickson 44, about 100 million light-years distant toward the constellation Leo. The two spiral galaxies in the center of the image are edge-on NGC 3190 with its distinctive, warped dust lanes, and S-shaped NGC 3187. Along with the bright elliptical, NGC 3193 at the right, they are also known as Arp 316. The spiral in the upper left corner is NGC 3185, the 4th member of the Hickson group. Like other galaxies in Hickson groups, these show signs of distortion and enhanced star formation, evidence of a gravitational tug of war that will eventually result in galaxy mergers on a cosmic timescale. The merger process is now understood to be a normal part of the evolution of galaxies, including our own Milky Way. For scale, NGC 3190 is about 75,000 light-years across at the estimated distance of Hickson 44.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Image Credit & Copyright: Stephen Leshin]
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That’s a pretty picture. Just look at all that galactic diversity! NGC 3190, NGC 3187, NGC 3193, and NGC 3185 look nothing like each other, but there they are, palling around together. How nice.
Galactic multicultural diversity?
I sure am enjoying these daily astronomy pictures! Space is beautiful, and its vastness is almost beyond comprehension. I’ve spent many nights peering through the telescope, taking in what’s out there. Simply amazing.
Kharis13
If I need a </sarc> tag for you, you don't know me.
Wonderful!
I’m surprised NASA isn’t publishing pictures of galactic clusters where they are all lined up, facing east, praying together. You know, part of their Muslim outreach...
Not so much. Galactical miscegenation demonstrates the struggle between good and evil on a universal scale. The perfect integrity of each of these unique galaxies will be forever lost as they merge, pitiful. (For the uninitiated here's a /s.)
Ha Ha!
You are probably right.
Yeah. Pipe down; you’ll give them ideas. ;-)
I saw this cluster of galaxies a few years ago on a starchart and it’s one of my ‘must sees’ each Spring when Leo pokes it’s head above the horizon.
The item on the far left (far right in the scope) is pretty dim visually, but, can be seen in a 10” scope.
The one in the middle has a nice write up in wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_3190
The one next to the star is very pretty.
The barred spiral is pretty dim too, and, about all you can see is the central bar.
So Pretty! Saved!
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