Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Muskan Arora
The Hubble Space Telescope has documented a colossal merger in deep space, capturing the collision of two galaxies, each hosting millions of suns.
Image: NASA
Hubble's latest image reveals Arp 122, an unusual galaxy formed by the convergence of two distinct galaxies – NGC 6040, a tilted, warped spiral, and LEDA 59642, a round, face-on spiral.
Image: NASA
The two galaxies, NGC 6040 and LEDA 59642, are currently in the midst of a mega-collision approximately 570 million light-years from Earth.
Image: NASA
Hubble's snapshot also captures the elliptical galaxy NGC 6041h, situated in the lower-left corner. While a central member of the galaxy cluster housing Arp 122, NGC 6041h is not actively participating in this extensive merger.
Image: NASA
NASA notes that galactic collisions and mergers are extraordinary events occurring on a slow timescale. The update mentions the impending collision of the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy, emphasizing the gradual nature of such cosmic events.
Image: NASA
Galaxies, akin to vast families of stars, dust, gas, and dark matter, undergo transformative changes during collisions. The gravitational forces at play can result in the fusion of two galaxies into a new, singular entity, often adopting a simpler shape.
Image: NASA
Beyond its contribution to studying the deep universe, Hubble has played a crucial role in observing both inner and outer planets of the solar system.