Astronomy Picture of the Day - NGC 520: Colliding Galaxies from Hubble

APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 7 Sep, 2021 | Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & Copyright: William Ostling (The Astronomy Enthusiast)

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: Is this one galaxy or two? The jumble of stars, gas, and dust that is NGC 520 is now thought to incorporate the remains of two separate disk galaxies. A defining component of NGC 520 -- as seen in great detail in the featured image from the Hubble Space Telescope -- is its band of intricately interlaced dust running vertically down the spine of the colliding galaxies. A similar looking collision might be expected in a few billion years when our disk Milky Way Galaxy to collides with our large-disk galactic neighbor Andromeda (M31). The collision that defines NGC 520 started about 300 million years ago. Also known as Arp 157, NGC 520 lies about 100 million light years distant, spans about 100 thousand light years, and can be seen with a small telescope toward the constellation of the Fish (Pisces). Although the speeds of stars in NGC 520 are fast, the distances are so vast that the battling pair will surely not change its shape noticeably during our lifetimes.

[MtnClimber]

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list.

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[SuperLuminal]

That’s the way it looks to me...

[Carriage Hill]

Not to worry, Progressive or Geico will “fix” it.

[refermech]

A cosmic fart?

[Carriage Hill]

Looks life a beer or mayo fart... heh.

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[seowulf]

A similar looking collision might be expected in a few billion years when our disk Milky Way Galaxy to collides with our large-disk galactic neighbor Andromeda (M31).

Look on the bright side. The sun will be a red giant and almost burned out anyway, along with the earth.

[PJBankard]

Well obviously more than one galaxy, unless wing shaped galaxies are a common thing.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Better get some ice on that.

[Rurudyne]

Women and minorities will be hardest hit….

[Deaf Smith]

"Covered it"

"We know a thing or because we've seen a thing or two". Farmers

[Larry Lucido]

When galaxies merge, to they get a new board of directors? What will the Milky Way and Andromeda be called? Moland Springs?

[SunkenCiv]

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