Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The Porpoise Galaxy from Hubble

NASA ^ | June 24, 2013 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: What's happening to this spiral galaxy? Just a few hundred million years ago, NGC 2936, the upper of the two large galaxies shown, was likely a normal spiral galaxy -- spinning, creating stars -- and minding its own business. But then it got too close to the massive elliptical galaxy NGC 2937 below and took a dive. Dubbed the Porpoise Galaxy for its iconic shape, NGC 2936 is not only being deflected but also being distorted by the close gravitational interaction. A burst of young blue stars forms the nose of the porpoise toward the left of the upper galaxy, while the center of the spiral appears as an eye. Alternatively, the galaxy pair, together known as Arp 142, look to some like a penguin protecting an egg. Either way, intricate dark dust lanes and bright blue star streams trail the troubled galaxy to the lower right. The above recently-released image showing Arp 142 in unprecedented detail was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope last year. Arp 142 lies about 300 million light years away toward the constellation, coincidently, of the Water Snake (Hydra). In a billion years or so the two galaxies will likely merge into one larger galaxy.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STSci/AURA)]

[SunkenCiv]

New Mirror: APOD now availble from Thailand in Thai and English.

The Big One.

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[mylife]

That is VERY Cool!

[schm0e]

hunh! looks just like the Hummingbird-with-Glasses-Smoking-a-Cigarette Galaxy!

[Tainan]

Now that’s just weird...looks like the central nervous system of a seal via a really bright light behind it.

[null and void]

THAILAND!?!??!

[mylife]

Hawkwind~Spiral Galaxy 28948

[mylife]

I saw the hummingbird too.

[aquila48]

What’s amazing is all the other galaxies in the pictures that look so insignificant. Each is made up of tens of billions of stars with probably a trillion planets each.

How insignificant we truly are in the grand scheme of things, and yet we think we’re so important.

[doorgunner69]

What I always find so mind blowing about these super hi-rez Hubble shots is the multitude of galaxies in the background.

Just contemplating what they could have living in them, so far away and unknowable..........

[lbryce]

SunkenCiv, A Man With Porpoise!
Thanks SunkenCiv!

[houeto]

I saw the hummingbird too.

I couldn't really tell. Can we get a shot from the other side so that I can be sure?

Thanks for the ping SunkenCiv!

[DannyTN]

Robin: Gosh, Batman. The nobility of the almost-human porpoise.
Batman: True, Robin. It was noble of that animal to hurl himself into the path of that final torpedo. He gave his life for ours.

[mylife]

LOL!!!

[mylife]

Hawkwind~Space Is Deep.

[Hardraade]

That’s kind of close to the Tortoise Galaxy, isn’t it? Where Rhincewind is?

[RedHeeler]

Thanks for all you do, SunkenCiv.

[tanuki]

Wow! Everything’s up there! Even a porpoise jumping a star.

[BigCinBigD]

So long. And thank’s for all the fish!

[mitch5501]

Awesome track,awesome album,awesome band!