Posted on 07/15/2014 2:02:13 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: Why is there a blue bridge of stars across the center of this galaxy cluster? First and foremost the cluster, designated SDSS J1531+3414, contains many large yellow elliptical galaxies. The cluster's center, as pictured above by the Hubble Space Telescope, is surrounded by many unusual, thin, and curving blue filaments that are actually galaxies far in the distance whose images have become magnified and elongated by the gravitational lens effect of the massive cluster. More unusual, however, is a squiggly blue filament near the two large elliptical galaxies at the cluster center. Close inspection of the filament indicates that it is most likely a bridge created by tidal effects between the two merging central elliptical galaxies rather than a background galaxy with an image distorted by gravitational lensing. The knots in the bridge are condensation regions that glow blue from the light of massive young stars. The central cluster region will likely undergo continued study as its uniqueness makes it an interesting laboratory of star formation.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit: NASA, ESA, G. Tremblay (ESO) et al.; Acknowledgment: Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) - ESA/Hubble Collaboration]
Thank You. Beauty beyond words in that photo.
Is it a rainbow bridge?
I’d like to know more about that really red galaxy on the right.
Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away...
It’s Laz’ favorite galaxy, ‘nough said.
:’)
:’)
It doesn’t say how far away it is. But I’m glad that with all that chaos, we’re not close enough for it to affect us.
That is truly a lovely, bejeweled image of the bright, young, new stars forming around the twin elliptical galaxies.
Thank you, Mr. Civilizations.
Hey, I miss bigheadfred. Yeah, he is a little strange, but he is kind and funny.
But that's, of course, "academic," as they say. It will require a careful census, piece by piece, a spectrographic structural and redshift analysis - to create an accurate 3D model.
Long experience pouring over these deep-sky zoos has me believing the "Einstein Ring" and arc light bending plays a far bigger role in creating the end results we see here, far, far away. It's incredible, of course, but so is the process of long-term exposure of these fields subtending such small fractional degrees of arc.
Psalm 8 immediately comes to mind, and the earlier parts of Romans.
I miss him too.
I figured. You and he were plenty close here on FR.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
