APOD: 2005 March 1 - NGC 1531/2: Interacting Galaxies (original) (raw)

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2005 March 1

NGC 1531/2: Interacting Galaxies
Credit & Copyright: T. Rector(U. Alaska Anchorage), Gemini Obs., AURA,NSF

Explanation: This dramatic image of an interacting pair of galaxies was made using 8-meter Gemini South telescope at Cerro Pachon, Chile. NGC 1531 is the background galaxy with a bright core just above center and NGC 1532 is the foreground spiral galaxylaced with dust lanes. The pair is about 55 million light-years away in the southern constellation Eridanus. These galaxies lie close enough together so that each feels the influence of the other's gravity. The gravitational tug-of-war has triggered star formationin the foreground spiral as evidenced by the young, bright blue star clustersalong the upper edge of the front spiral arm. Though the spiral galaxy in this pair is viewed nearly edge-on, astronomers believe the system is similar to the face-on spiral and companion known as M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy.

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell(USRA)
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