NASA has released a beautiful composite image of two overlapping spiral galaxy pairs, IC 2163 and NGC 2207, taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.
This composite image shows the galaxies IC 2163 (left) and NGC 2207 (right). Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI.
of IC 2163-NGC 2207 pair It is located about 114 million light years from us in the direction of the constellation Canis Major.
The large and massive galaxy is registered as NGC 2207, and the smaller galaxy is registered as IC 2163.
Strong tidal forces from the former distorted the shape of the latter, blowing stars and gas into long streams stretching 100,000 light years.
IC 2163 made its closest approach 40 million years ago, passing NGC 2207 in a counterclockwise direction.
However, IC 2163 does not have enough energy to escape NGC 2207's gravity and is doomed to be pulled back again in the future, passing by the larger galaxy.
“The pair's eerie colors represent a combination of mid-infrared light from the web and visible and ultraviolet light from Hubble,” NASA astronomers said.
“Look for potential evidence of their light scrapes on impact surfaces where material from galaxies may have collided.”
“These lines, rendered in bright red, including the eyelids, may be responsible for the appearance of the galaxy's bulging, vein-like arms.”
“The galaxy's first passage may also have distorted its delicately curved arms and elicited tidal extensions in some places.”
“The small diffused spiral arm between IC 2163's core and its leftmost arm may be an example of this activity.”
“More tendrils appear to be hanging between the galactic cores.”
“Another extension drifts off the top of the larger galaxy, forming a thin translucent arm that essentially extends out of the picture.”
These images show two overlapping spiral galaxies, IC 2163 and NGC 2207. On the left is Hubble's ultraviolet and visible light observations, and on the right is Webb's mid-infrared observations. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI.
IC 2163 and NGC 2207 form stars at such high rates that they appear to have millions of individual hearts flapping across their arms.
These galaxies produce the equivalent of 20 solar-mass stars of new solar-mass stars every year.
“Our Milky Way galaxy only forms two to three new Sun-like stars a year,” the astronomers said.
“Both galaxies have experienced seven known supernovae in recent decades, compared to the Milky Way's average of once every 50 years.”
“Each supernova may have removed space within the arms, rearranging gas and dust that later cooled, allowing many new stars to form.”
“To identify sequences of star-forming activity, look for the bright blue regions seen by Hubble in ultraviolet light and the pink and white regions detailed primarily by Webb's mid-infrared data.” the researchers said.
“Stars in larger regions are known as superclusters.”
“Look for examples of these in the top spiral arms that wrap around larger galaxies and point to the left.”
“Other bright regions of the galaxy are ministarbursts, where many stars form in quick succession.”
“In addition, the upper and lower 'eyelids' of IC 2163, the small galaxy on the left, are filled with newer star formation and are burning brighter.”
Source: www.sci.news
