Two “dancing galaxies” were successfully captured by the Hubble Telescope, how do they look?

KOMPAS.com – Deep in the constellation Andromeda, about 320 million light years away, two galaxy interact to produce a dance that is bound by gravity. The events of these two “dancing galaxies” were successfully captured by Hubble Space Telescope in incredible three-dimensional detail.

The two galaxies are polar ring galaxy IC 1559 which is at the top and spiral galaxy NGC 169 which is below. Collectively, these two galaxies are known as Arp 282.

It’s not uncommon for galaxies to interact gravitationally. Galaxy can merge, collide, or pass over each other.

“Astronomers now accept that an important aspect of how galaxies evolve is the way they interact with one another,” writes NASA as quoted from SpaceSaturday (12/3/2022).

As for each interaction that occurs, it significantly affects the shape and structure of the galaxy.

Also read: Two ancient galaxies found, could help give understanding about the universe

However, it is difficult to photograph the interactions between these two galaxies in a way that clearly shows their movement in three-dimensional space.

In the case of Arp 282, Hubble is at the perfect angle to capture the strands of star, dust, and gas that are pulled by tidal forces from one system to another.

Had the Arp 282 been tilted at different angles, the telescope might never have been able to depict the dance so vividly.

For example, viewing this view through the bottom of NGC 169, it is impossible to see sharp distortion of the two galaxies.

Another advantage is that the instrument takes pictures in visible light. Both IC 1559 and NGC 169, have active galactic nuclei (AGN), meaning their cores are monumentally energetic.

In other words, both galaxies have supermassive black holes that emit enormous amounts of energy over the full electromagnetic spectrum.

“If the picture (two dancing galaxies) it reveals the full emissions of both AGNs. Their brilliance will obscure the beautiful tidal interactions seen in the pictures, ”concluded NASA.

Also read: NASA’s Hubble Telescope Captures Two Galaxies Collision

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