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A Grazing Encounter Between Two Spiral Galaxies

A Grazing Encounter Between Two Spiral Galaxies


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A Grazing Encounter Between Two Spiral Galaxies

The larger and more massive galaxy is cataloged as NGC 2207 (on the left in the Hubble Heritage image), and the smaller one on the right is IC 2163. Strong tidal forces from NGC 2207 have distorted the shape of IC 2163, flinging out stars and gas into long streamers stretching out a hundred thousand light-years toward the right-hand edge of the image. Computer simulations, carried out by a team led by Bruce and Debra Elmegreen, demonstrate the leisurely timescale over which galactic collisions occur. In addition to the Hubble images, measurements made with the National Science Foundations Very Large Array Radio Telescope in New Mexico reveal the motions of the galaxies and aid the reconstruction of the collision. The calculations indicate that IC 2163 is swinging past NGC 2207 in a counterclockwise direction, having made its closest approach 40 million years ago. However, IC 2163 does not have sufficient energy to escape from the gravitational pull of NGC 2207, and is destined to be pulled back and swing past the larger galaxy again in the future. The high resolution of the Hubble telescope image reveals dust lanes in the spiral arms of NGC 2207, clearly silhouetted against IC 2163, which is in the background. Hubble also reveals a series of parallel dust filaments extending like fine brush strokes along the tidally stretched material on the right-hand side. The large concentrations of gas and dust in both galaxies may well erupt into regions of active star formation in the near future. Trapped in their mutual orbit around each other, these two galaxies will continue to distort and disrupt each other. Eventually, billions of years from now, they will merge into a single, more massive galaxy. It is believed that many present-day galaxies, including the Milky Way, were assembled from a similar process of coalescence of smaller galaxies occurring over billions of years. This image was created from 3 separate pointings of Hubble. The Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 data sets were obtained by Debra Meloy Elmegreen (Vassar College), Bruce G. Elmegreen (IBM Research Division), Michele Kaufman (Ohio State U.), Elias Brinks (Universidad de Guanajuato, Mexico), Curt Struck (Iowa State University), Magnus Thomasson (Onsala Space Obs. Sweden), Maria Sundin (Goteborg University, Sweden), and Mario Klaric (Columbia, South Carolina)

Space Image feature a selection of NASA's incredible imagery

Media ID 635214

© NASA

Hubble Space Telescope Wfpc Milky Way


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> Arts > Artists > P > those present

> Prints > Space

> Science > Space Exploration > Galaxies

> Science > Space Exploration > Hubble Telescope

> Science > Space Exploration > Milky Way

> Science > Space Exploration > Telescopes Radio

> Space Images > Hubble Space Telescope


EDITORS COMMENTS
This print showcases a mesmerizing encounter between two spiral galaxies, NGC 2207 and IC 2163. The larger and more massive galaxy, NGC 2207, looms on the left side of the image while the smaller IC 2163 rests on the right. The powerful tidal forces exerted by NGC 2207 have dramatically distorted the shape of IC 2163, causing stars and gas to be flung out into long streamers that extend over a hundred thousand light-years towards the right-hand edge of the photograph. Computer simulations conducted by Bruce and Debra Elmegreen reveal that galactic collisions occur over leisurely timescales. Measurements made with the National Science Foundations Very Large Array Radio Telescope aid in reconstructing this collision as well as determining their motions. It is discovered that IC 2163 is currently swinging past NGC 2207 in a counterclockwise direction after making its closest approach approximately forty million years ago. However, despite this close encounter, IC 2163 lacks sufficient energy to escape from NGC 2207's gravitational pull and will inevitably be pulled back for another swing past its larger counterpart in future. The high resolution provided by Hubble telescope imagery allows us to observe dust lanes within NGC 2207's spiral arms silhouetted against IC 2163 in the background. Additionally, parallel dust filaments can be seen extending like delicate brush strokes along tidally stretched material on the right-hand side of this stunning visual representation. Trapped within their mutual orbit around each other, these two galaxies will continue to distort and disrupt one another until they eventually merge billions of years from now into a single more massive galaxy. This process mirrors how many present-day galaxies like our own Milky Way were formed through coalescence over vast periods of time.

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