When Two Become One: Twisted Cosmic Knot Shines in Hubble Photo

[Judi Lynn]

By Nina Sen, Space.com Contributor | November 14, 2017 02:51pm ET

- click for image -

https://img.purch.com/h/1400/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zcGFjZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA3MS82NzUvb3JpZ2luYWwvMTEwOTE3LWh1YmJsZS10d2lzdGVkLWtub3QuanBn

This image, captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows what happens when two galaxies become one.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA

This stunning image shows a galaxy appearing to spin across space. It's actually the result of a major collision between two galaxies creating a twisted cosmic knot. The galaxy, known as NGC 2623, or Arp 243, is located about 250 million light-years away in the constellation of Cancer (the Crab), according to a NASA statement.

The violent collision caused quite a dust-up, triggering clouds of gas to become compressed and drastically increase star formation. Many young, hot, newborn stars form in this galaxy marked by patches of bright blue in the center. The long, sweeping tails of this galaxy are clouds of gas and dust.

At least 170 bright, hot star clusters are known to exist within NGC 2623. The galaxy is in a late stage of merging. It gives scientists a glimpse into our own Milky Way, which may come to resemble this twisted pattern when it merges with the neighboring Andromeda Galaxy in roughly 4 million years.

https://www.space.com/38728-twisted-cosmic-knot-shines-hubble-photo.html?utm_source=notification

[packman]

2. That bottom video gives a time frame of 5 Billion (with a "B") years

for the merger. Not that it makes that much difference to mortals such as we.

[LudwigPastorius]

3. I found it hard to believe, but...

no stars actually collide when galaxies crash into each other.

It looks incredibly violent, but galaxies, like atoms, are mostly space.

[Beartracks]

7. Oh, wow. That makes sense. I feel better already.

==============

[paleotn]

4. Saw a documentary last night....

about a supernova in a distant galaxy...roughly 250 million light years away. That particular supernova went off around the Permian / Triassic boundary here on earth and the light just got here. A giant star exploded long before the dinosaurs and we just found out about it. That's what I love about science.

[burrowowl]

5. Beautiful

[spike jones]

6. Looks like a wild ride, baby.

Last edited Fri Nov 17, 2017, 10:37 PM - Edit history (1)

Edwin Hubble Expanded Humankind’s Horizons.
It was only about 100 years ago that telescopes were powerful enough the determine that the bright smudges that appeared to be in our galaxy were in fact very distant galaxies, and the true size of the universe became apparent. Before that the Milky Way galaxy was thought to be the total Universe.

[longship]

8. Thanks to Henrietta Swan Leavitt

She discovered the period/luminosity relationship in Cepheid variable stars. Without her discovery Edwin Hubble would not have been able to measure the expansion of the universe, because there would not have been a standard candle by which to measure astronomical distances.

Here:

Henrietta Swan Leavitt (Wiki)

Henrietta Swan Leavitt, an unsung superhero of science. Remember her.