The two galaxies span approximately 130,000 light-years in space. It is about 1.3 times the diameter of the Milky Way.
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has detected a cosmic tug-of-war between galaxies that could lead to a merger. Space reported it.
The image shows the spiral galaxy NGC 5427. Together with its rival, the similarly sized spiral galaxy NGC 5426, it forms the pair Arp 271, located about 130 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo.
These two interacting galaxies span a distance of about 130,000 light-years, which is about 1.3 times the diameter of the Milky Way.
They are moving towards each other at a speed of more than 1 million km/h. The galaxies will meet within 2.5 million light years and merge within 4.5 billion years.
NGC 5426 itself is not visible in the image, but its influence is clearly visible. In the lower right corner of the galaxy, a streak of gas, dust and stars can be seen moving away from NGC 5427. This is the result of the gravitational pull, creating a “cosmic rope”.
Scientists are confident that this interaction will continue for many millions of years. What is not yet clear from the observations of Arp 271 is whether this is true, whether the gravitational interaction will cause these two galaxies to approach, collide and merge.
Gravitational interaction requires gas exchange, leading to the formation of new stars. Many of them can be seen in the cosmic “rope” of gas and dust.
Observing interacting galaxies is giving scientists a glimpse of what will happen when the Milky Way and its neighboring Andromeda galaxy move together and collide in the distant future.
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NASA/ESA
It was earlier reported that Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said that India plans to launch a female humanoid robot into space this year.
The Hubble telescope photographed a galaxy located in the constellation Phoenix
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Source: korrespondent
I am Ben Stock, a passionate and experienced digital journalist working in the news industry. At the Buna Times, I write articles covering technology developments and related topics. I strive to provide reliable information that my readers can trust. My research skills are top-notch, as well as my ability to craft engaging stories on timely topics with clarity and accuracy.