Pristine Hubble Image Shows an Exciting Exchange Between Two Galaxies
The recurring interaction between two galaxies 320 million light-years away has been recorded in a spectacular Hubble picture.
They are collectively named Arp 282 in Halton Arp’s Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. They feature a large barred spiral galaxy called NGC 169, approximately 140,000 light-years across, and a considerably smaller polar-ring galaxy labeled IC 1559, which is about 40,000 light-years across.
These two galaxies have come close enough together that they’re transferring material. That’s not uncommon; although space is immense and mostly empty, galaxies are gravitationally attracted, possibly carried along strands of the invisible cosmic web that extends across and takes an essential part in shaping the Universe.
Interactions between galaxies greatly add to their development, whether it’s merely a flyby that sees an exchange of material, or a full-on merging, as has occurred several times over the Milky Way’s history.
These interactions can transform a galaxy’s form or cause shock waves that ignite star development, effectively restoring a galaxy whose star formation rates are drooping.
We seek to comprehend these interactions by locating pairs or groups of galaxies in the struggles of these processes and performing simulations to reconstruct how they happened. That’s why images like Hubble’s recent release are so significant.
There are a few distinctive aspects of the interaction between NGC 169 and IC 1559. First, both galaxies have an active galactic core; that is, the supermassive black holes at the core of each are actively swallowing down dust and gas. This process creates a lot of high-energy light in the form of X-rays and heat in infrared wavelengths; Hubble‘s picture is in visible light, which dusts in galactic nuclei usually block.
Furthermore, you can see streams of dust and glowing material passing between both galaxies, likely from the lower-mass object to the higher-mass object.
The ESA detailed that when two galaxies connect, gas, dust, and even whole solar systems may be drawn away from one galaxy towards the other by tidal forces.
The ESA added that this process could be seen in action in this image (fragile flows of matter have formed, visibly connecting both galaxies).
If the two galaxies come close enough, inevitably, they’ll combine, their supermassive black holes converging in a monumental event that will send gravitational waves vibrating across the Universe.
To download the image in wallpaper size, visit the ESA Hbble website.
Originally published by: sciencealert.com
