Tag - Galaxies

Astrophysicists Uncover the Secrets Behind the Formation of Massive Galaxies

Elliptical galaxies NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 colliding. (NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team/AURA/B. Whitmore et al.)It’s both humbling and inspiring to consider how much remains to be discovered about the Universe. My collaborators and I recently addressed one of astrophysics’ longstanding mysteries: how massive elliptical galaxies form.For the first time, we now have strong observational evidence to...

Pristine Hubble Image Shows an Exciting Exchange Between Two Galaxies

Arp 282. (ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, Dark Energy Survey, DOE, FNAL/DECam, CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, SDSS, J. Schmidt)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...