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Keyword: ngc7318a

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  • Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Stephan's Quintet

    02/25/2012 7:44:12 AM PST · by SunkenCiv · 7 replies
    NASA ^ | February 25, 2012 | (see photo credit)
    Explanation: The first identified compact galaxy group, Stephan's Quintet is featured in this eye-catching image constructed with data drawn from the extensive Hubble Legacy Archive. About 300 million light-years away, only four of these five galaxies are actually locked in a cosmic dance of repeated close encounters. The odd man out is easy to spot, though. The interacting galaxies, NGC 7319, 7318A, 7318B, and 7317 have an overall yellowish cast. They also tend to have distorted loops and tails, grown under the influence of disruptive gravitational tides. But the predominantly bluish galaxy, NGC 7320, is closer, just 40 million light-years...