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Astronomy Picture of the Day- Government shutdown so no APOD Today. I will dig up some of my favorites - NGC 4676: When Mice Collide
NASA ^ | 1 Feb, 2015 | Image Credit: ACS Science & Engineering Team, Hubble Space Telescope, NASA

Posted on 10/15/2025 11:43:36 AM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: These two mighty galaxies are pulling each other apart. Known as the "Mice" because they have such long tails, each spiral galaxy has likely already passed through the other. The long tails are created by the relative difference between gravitational pulls on the near and far parts of each galaxy. Because the distances are so large, the cosmic interaction takes place in slow motion -- over hundreds of millions of years. NGC 4676 lies about 300 million light-years away toward the constellation of Bernice's Hair (Coma Berenices) and are likely members of the Coma Cluster of Galaxies. The above picture was taken with the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys in 2002. These galactic mice will probably collide again and again over the next billion years until they coalesce to form a single galaxy.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
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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.

1 posted on 10/15/2025 11:43:36 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 10/15/2025 11:43:58 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

3 posted on 10/15/2025 11:45:10 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

If you stare at it long enough, you can see it moving.


4 posted on 10/15/2025 11:55:22 AM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: MtnClimber

Fake news

Everybody know gravity is an illusion and is simply the bending of space-time /sarc


5 posted on 10/15/2025 12:14:42 PM PDT by politicianslie (Gold is the money of kings, silver for gentlemen, barter for peasants, debt is money for slaves )
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To: MtnClimber

Cosmic bumper cars.


6 posted on 10/15/2025 12:16:45 PM PDT by AFB-XYZ (( We have two options: 1. Stand up, or 2. Bend over))
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To: MtnClimber

Isn’t this the eventual fate of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies?


7 posted on 10/15/2025 1:39:33 PM PDT by mowowie
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To: MtnClimber

If you don’t stop it, a federal judge will issue an injunction.


8 posted on 10/15/2025 1:40:24 PM PDT by Fledermaus ("It turns out all we really needed was a new President!")
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To: mowowie
Isn’t this the eventual fate of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies?

Yes. In about 4 billion years. I expect they will blame it on Trump.

9 posted on 10/15/2025 2:02:51 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Of course they will.


10 posted on 10/15/2025 2:18:04 PM PDT by NeverTyranny
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To: MtnClimber
I’ve seen them thru our club’s 18” reflector. Just barely, two very faint fuzzy spots, but the tails weren’t visible.

Pixie and Trixie, with Jinx the Cat nowhere to be found…..

11 posted on 10/15/2025 3:51:50 PM PDT by telescope115 (Ad Astra, Ad Deum…)
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To: MtnClimber

Fred and Ginger galaxies whirling around the universe.


12 posted on 10/15/2025 7:08:56 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (Making money now. Still want much more.)
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