Hubble Watches an Intergalactic Dance
This pair of interacting galaxies appears in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies compiled by astronomer Halton Arp in 1966, giving the pair its name “Arp 86.”
The peculiarity? The small companion galaxy, NGC 7752, almost seems attached to the large spiral galaxy dominating this image, NGC 7753.
The gravitational dance between the two galaxies, which are roughly 220 million light-years from Earth, will eventually result in NGC 7752 being tossed out into intergalactic space or entirely engulfed by its much larger neighbor.
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Dark Energy Survey, J. Dalcanton
Learn more about the observation of these galaxies here: go.nasa.gov/3jrgMHI
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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Hubble Watches an Intergalactic Dance
This pair of interacting galaxies appears in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies compiled by astronomer Halton Arp in 1966, giving the pair its name “Arp 86.”
The peculiarity? The small companion galaxy, NGC 7752, almost seems attached to the large spiral galaxy dominating this image, NGC 7753.
The gravitational dance between the two galaxies, which are roughly 220 million light-years from Earth, will eventually result in NGC 7752 being tossed out into intergalactic space or entirely engulfed by its much larger neighbor.
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Dark Energy Survey, J. Dalcanton
Learn more about the observation of these galaxies here: go.nasa.gov/3jrgMHI
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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