NASA's Hubble captures image of 2 galaxies merging

[Judi Lynn]

NASA's Hubble captures image of 2 galaxies merging

USA Today Network Mary Bowerman, USA TODAY Network 8:32 a.m. EST January 5, 2016


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(Photo: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt)
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NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope is starting the New Year off with a bang.

The spacecraft recently captured an incredible image of two galaxies merging to form a new galaxy. The colorful image shows galaxy NGC 6052, which is located 230 million light-years away, according to a statement from the European Space Agency (ESA).

Over time, two separate galaxies were drawn together by gravity, and eventually “collided,” according to the statement. The image shows them “merging into a single structure.”

If the shape of the galaxy looks “chaotic,” that’s because it is, according to the agency. As the galaxies merge, stars within the galaxies are knocked off their original orbits and sent on new paths.

More:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/nation-now/2016/01/05/nasas-hubble-captures-image-2-galaxies-merging/78294170/

[Judi Lynn]

1. This Breathtaking Photo Shows Two Galaxies Merging Together

This Breathtaking Photo Shows Two Galaxies Merging Together
The Hubble Space Telescope captured the spectacular sight.

 01/05/2016 04:56 am ET | Updated 50 minutes ago

Lee Moran

Two become one in this awe-inspiring image of galaxies merging together.

The spectacular sight was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope last month.

The photograph shows galaxy NGC 6052, which is located some 230 million light-years away from Earth, in the constellation of Hercules, in the process of being formed.

Astronomers initially classified the galaxy as being "a single abnormal" one, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). But it's now confirmed to be a pair of star systems that are coming together.

More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/two-galaxies-merging-together-hubble_568b7906e4b014efe0db831d

[SCantiGOP]

2. I was reading about this phenomena recently

There is only a tiny chance of stars actually colliding because of the huge amount of space involved. It does, however, send stars and other objects on different trajectories, which wouldn't be a good thing if your planet happened to be in the middle of this.

[trotsky]

3. This will happen to the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies in a few billion years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda%E2%80%93Milky_Way_collision

Glad I won't be around!

[SCantiGOP]

4. Trotsky:

Love you signature. I hadn't heard that one from Dr. Tyson.

[AlbertCat]

6. Glad I won't be around!

Yeah.... but for a long long time before that, the Andromeda Galaxy will loom large in the night sky. That would be an awesome sight.

[AlbertCat]

5. Sexy!

...oooooo...merging....