Space Image: When galaxies collide

Oct 21, 2011
When Galaxies Collide Enlarge
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)

(PhysOrg.com) -- This interacting pair of galaxies is included in Arp's catalog of peculiar galaxies as number 148. Arp 148 is the staggering aftermath of an encounter between two galaxies, resulting in a ring-shaped galaxy and a long-tailed companion.

The collision between the two produced a shockwave effect that first drew matter into the center and then caused it to propagate outwards in a ring. The elongated companion perpendicular to the ring suggests that Arp 148 is a unique snapshot of an ongoing collision.

reveal a strong obscuration region that appears as a dark dust lane across the nucleus in optical light. Arp 148 is nicknamed Mayall's object and is located in the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear, approximately 500 million light-years away.

This image is part of a large collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the and released on April 24, 2008, the observatory's 18th anniversary.

Explore further: Dusty surprise around giant black hole

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User comments : 6

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Dichotomy
not rated yet Oct 21, 2011
Cool to watch but not to experience. Got to wonder how many sentient lives were lost out there so long ago...
nkalanaga
5 / 5 (4) Oct 21, 2011
Probably very few. Stars are so far apart that galactic collisions seldom result in stellar collisions. Even if a star is ejected from its galaxy any planets orbiting it wouldn't be harmed.

There would be a slight increase in supernovae in the period following the collision, but even those aren't dangerous beyond a few hundred light years.
Tuxford
1 / 5 (5) Oct 21, 2011
Does not look like a collision to me. Galaxies look to have retained too much of original structure. Anyone found a plausible collision model to yield this result? I suspect not.
vidyunmaya
1 / 5 (2) Oct 21, 2011
Sub; Energy Interface
Energy Retrieval mode means search beyond material mode observations. This Image ARP 148 helps in this Direction.
See Cosmology Vedas Interlinks
http://vidyardhic...pot.com/
Your Information:collision between the two parent galaxies produced a shockwave effect that first drew matter into the center and then caused it to propagate outwards in a ring. The elongated companion perpendicular to the ring suggests that Arp 148 is a unique snapshot of an ongoing collision.
rwinners
not rated yet Oct 22, 2011
This looks to me as if one galaxy has passed through the other without much gravitation distortion.
jsdarkdestruction
not rated yet Oct 24, 2011
Sub; Energy Interface
Energy Retrieval mode means search beyond material mode observations. This Image ARP 148 helps in this Direction.
See Cosmology Vedas Interlinks
http://vidyardhic...pot.com/
Your Information:collision between the two parent galaxies produced a shockwave effect that first drew matter into the center and then caused it to propagate outwards in a ring. The elongated companion perpendicular to the ring suggests that Arp 148 is a unique snapshot of an ongoing collision.

well, i guess at least your english is getting a bit better. your philosophy based cosmology you keep talking about is unscientific though.

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