HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, 23 OCTOBER 2023
Individually, the two galaxies in this image - which lie 500 million lightyears from Earth in the constellation of Tucana - are known as NGC 7734 (top left) and NGC 7733 (bottom right). Collectively, they're known as Arp-Madore 2339-661, the moniker given to them when they were described in the Arp-Madore catalogue of peculiar galaxies, which was compiled in the 1970s and '80s.
A closer look, though, reveals that the two galaxies are actually three. Roughly two-thirds of the way along the blue upper arm of NGC 7733, you can see what appears to be a small clump of brown matter. Astronomers now believe that this is a third galaxy, provisionally now referred to as NGC 7733N. As the three galaxies are in very close proximity to one another, scientists say they will eventually merge to become one.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2023-Ausgabe von BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2023-Ausgabe von BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
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