The Colliding Spiral Galaxies of Arp 271
Credit & Copyright: Gemini Observatory, GMOS-South, NSF
Posted on 07/22/2008 3:01:19 PM PDT by sig226
Explanation: What will become of these galaxies? Spiral galaxies NGC 5426 and NGC 5427 are passing dangerously close to each other, but each is likely to survive this collision. Most frequently when galaxies collide, a large galaxy eats a much smaller galaxy. In this case, however, the two galaxies are quite similar, each being a sprawling spiral with expansive arms and a compact core. As the galaxies advance over the next tens of millions of years, their component stars are unlikely to collide, although new stars will form in the bunching of gas caused by gravitational tides. Close inspection of the above image taken by the 8-meter Gemini-South Telescope in Chile shows a bridge of material momentarily connecting the two giants. Known collectively as Arp 271, the interacting pair spans about 130,000 light years and lies about 90 million light-years away toward the constellation of Virgo. Quite possibly, our Milky Way Galaxy will undergo a similar collision with the neighboring Andromeda Galaxy in about five billion years.
bump
Today we get the WTFPOD...
(What, did someone at NASA have their kid do the entry?)
Explanation: What are these humans doing? Dancing. Many humans on Earth exhibit periods of happiness, and one method of displaying happiness is dancing. Happiness and dancing transcend political boundaries and occur in practically every human society. Above, Matt Harding traveled through many nations on Earth, started dancing, and filmed the result. The video is perhaps a dramatic example that humans from all over planet Earth feel a common bond as part of a single species. Happiness is frequently contagious -- few people are able to watch the above video without smiling.
Someone at NASA was hitting the bong WAY too hard yesterday. Just say no, fellas.
I strongly disagree.
Did you even bother to watch the whole thing? I loved it. And if you can't even crack a smile watching it you are more cynical than anyone I would want to meet. Earth and our people are a lot bigger and more beautiful than 'Rats, Mooselimbs and the MSM.
Is there GALAXY insurance from GEICO?
Another of the many great APODs.
While in school, many years ago, I was told that the only human instinct was to smile. : )
Thank you sig226 for your skills in censorship, protecting us from evil propoganda. Thank you for protecting us from evil thougths, evil deeds, evil dancing.
That’s the biggest smiley I’ve ever gotten in my life. And today is my 50th B-day. Thanks, man. :)
See you around the shop.
When the two of you can explain to me what that video has to do with astronomy, you will have a legitimate complaint.
sig, I’m not sure what the video has to do with astronomy, but I didn’t complain about it.
My fascination with APOD and all things relating to astronomy is not only what is out there, but who or what might be "out there". What I found so wonderful about Matt Harding's video is that he reminded us of who we all are right here on Earth. If there are any "alien" civilizations one of the first things they might want to know is how much we respect and appreciate our own species and differences in our own cultures. That's all. I love APOD. I check it out every day. But Earth is 'home' to our astronomy. And I think with the "Dancing" video APOD simply reminded all of us that all of humanity are part of this big, beautiful, wondrous universe. Beaming something like this out to space would be 1000x more descriptive of who we are than a Carl Sagan produced record on Voyager with hundreds of lame, boring greetings in a hundred different languages saying "Hello. Welcome from Earth" and a few music samples.
Incidentally, the first human instinct is not to smile, it is to suck. Ask any physician. :p
Yes. You are correct. Again, you know better than I.
Thanks.
I’m done, too.
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