Astronomy Picture of the Day- Government shutdown so no APOD Today. I will dig up some of my favorites - Arp 142: The Hummingbird Galaxy

NASA ^ | 25 Sep, 2023 | Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, HLA; Processing & Copyright: Basudeb Chakrabarti

[MtnClimber]

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 at the bottom, 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, just below, and took a turn. Sometimes dubbed the Hummingbird Galaxy for its iconic shape, NGC 2936 is not only being deflected but also being distorted by the close gravitational interaction. Behind filaments of dark interstellar dust, bright blue stars form the nose of the hummingbird, while the center of the spiral appears as an eye. Alternatively, the galaxy pair, together known as Arp 142, look to some like Porpoise or a penguin protecting an egg. The featured re-processed image showing Arp 142 in great detail was taken recently by the Hubble Space Telescope. Arp 142 lies about 300 million light years away toward the constellation of the Water Snake (Hydra). In a billion years or so the two galaxies will likely merge into one larger galaxy.

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TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa

[MtnClimber]

To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

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

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[NeverTyranny]

Stunning. Thanks for keeping it going. I may not always comment but I do look every day.

[MtnClimber]

Thanks.

[DannyTN]

It looks like it’s about to suck a blue planet.

[ComputerGuy]

I got a popup ad for a hummingbird feeder.

[GaltAdonis]

Looks like the very end of a fireworks display finale.
Everyone now walks to their cars and waits in line of cars to get out.

[Montana_Sam]

Very cool! thnx

[LonePalm]

Nice. Do you have one showing the Pillars of Creation in all their glory?

SpyNavy

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[MtnClimber]

Do you have one showing the Pillars of Creation in all their glory?

I will look for tomorrow.

[ridesthemiles]

THE COLORS ARE MAGNIFICENT

[HandyDandy]

Spectacular!

[telescope115]

Beautiful!

[dayglored]

> Stunning. Thanks for keeping it going. I may not always comment but I do look every day.

I'll second all of that!!