Cosmic Crash
Cosmic Crash
Image courtesy Rodrigo Carrasco and Travis Rector, GEMS/UAA/Gemini Observatory
A cosmic crash scene of two galaxies, with many young star clusters strewn about, is on display in this new near-infrared image by the Gemini South Observatory in Chile.
Sitting 10.5 million light-years from Earth, the two intertwining islands of stars are known as the antennae galaxies due to the two, spindly arms coming out from the galactic core that look similar to insect antenna.
These antenna-like structures—made of millions of stars—were originally spiral arms, a normal part of a galaxy. Over time they became gravitationally distorted and drawn out into space during the initial collision between the galaxies 300 million years ago.
Astronomers believe that billions of years in the future, our own Milky Way will suffer the same fate, smashing into our neighboring Andromeda galaxy and eventually merging into one. (Related: "Earth Likely to Relocate in Galactic Collision.")
—Andrew Fazekas
Published July 12, 2013
