Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Galaxy Collision in NGC 6745

NASA ^ | September 30, 2012 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Galaxies don't normally look like this. NGC 6745 actually shows the results of two galaxies that have been colliding for only hundreds of millions of years. Just off the above digitally sharpened photograph to the lower right is the smaller galaxy, moving away. The larger galaxy, pictured above, used to be a spiral galaxy but now is damaged and appears peculiar. Gravity has distorted the shapes of the galaxies. Although it is likely that no stars in the two galaxies directly collided, the gas, dust, and ambient magnetic fields do interact directly. In fact, a knot of gas pulled off the larger galaxy on the lower right has now begun to form stars. NGC 6745 spans about 80 thousand light-years across and is located about 200 million light-years away.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration; Acknowledgment: Roger Lynds (KPNO/NOAO) et al.]

[SunkenCiv]

join or quit list APoD 'blog post new APoD topic Astronomy Picture of the Day topic & keyword Astronomy Chat, Bloggers & keyword Science Chat, Bloggers & keyword NASA's APoD archive Calendar 1995-present APoD on your desktop

[SunkenCiv]

---

join or quit view topics view or post blog bookmark post new topic subscribe

---

[Noob1999]

Fascinating!

I just wonder what the Milky Way galaxy would look like by a telescope located a million of light years away??

[FredZarguna]

Prayers going up for the quintillions of people in those two galaxies.

[Donning flame suit]

[Monkey Face]

How awesome is that? WOW!

[Steely Tom]

I leave the keys in my galaxy and look what happens.

[TigersEye]

NGC 6745 actually shows the results of two galaxies that have been colliding for only hundreds of millions of years.

Intergalactic Insurance Co. claims rep: "I'm sorry, sir, no claims can be filed until the accident is over."

"Would you like to speak to a sales rep about our low-cost plans for travel insurance instead? I can transfer you from this line." beep

[SunkenCiv]

C’mon now, everyone knows the collision of these two galaxies is only a theory. /s

[FredZarguna]

If there’s evolution going on in those galaxies, they deserve what they’re getting.

[cripplecreek]

H2 is poisoning my mind right now as I’m watching The Universe. lol

[left that other site]

LOL.

No flame suit necessary...Most people know a good joke when they see one!

BUT...not all....

[albionin]

I hope your kidding.

[FredZarguna]

Derp.

[cripplecreek]

We need to intervene for humanitarian reasons.

[FredZarguna]

500 million years response (at a physical minimum) between the time this event first began and the State Department can get somebody there? Sounds about right for government work.

[ApplegateRanch]

Great job, Brownie2^29th!

[blueunicorn6]

It’s the flying dunce hat from Star Trek that eats planets!
“Warp 9.337564, Mr. Chekhov! Where’s Sulu? He’s getting married? To whom? No kidding. Well, he won’t be going where no man has gone before.”

[Hotlanta Mike]

The Milky Way is on a collission course with Andromeda...but we won’t be alive to experience it.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Women and minorities disproportionately affected.