Dark energy camera captures 'cosmic tug of war' between two galaxies
%2Favatars%2FmiPaTnXVs8LI.png&w=96&q=75)
%2F2023%2F07%2F26%2Fimage%2Fjpeg%2Fi1ZsBBeIhKpo8lNLypks5bMnjIwDAEHzOTOUyq3h.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA Roberto Colombari, M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab)
A gravitational tug of war between galaxies on the verge of merging has been caught in spectacular detail by a Dark Energy Camera (DECam).
This advanced camera is positioned on the 4-meter Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile.
The camera observed the early phases of a galactic merger, in which a large barred spiral galaxy will ultimately swallow a dwarf companion galaxy (NGC 1531).
As per the official statement, the massive spiral galaxy NGC 1532, also known as Haley's Coronet, is located around 55 million light-years away from Earth, in the direction of the southern constellation Eridanus.
It's a cosmic tug-of-war! Check out these incredible spiral galaxies, captured in a tug of war with its dwarf neighbor. The 📷 was taken by @Energy’s DECam mounted in the Victor M. Blanco telescope at @cerrotololo. Magnificent, isn't it? 🤩 https://t.co/1IQYIZVG50 pic.twitter.com/6kbOyxs1SD
— NOIRLab (@NOIRLabAstro) July 25, 2023
The gravitational war between the two galaxies
Despite NGC 1531's relatively small size, the companion galaxy appears to be exerting a significant gravitational pull on NGC 1532. And in the process, this small galaxy seems to be warping one of NGC 1532’s spiral arms.
The observations also revealed plumes of gas and dust in the space between these two gravitationally bound galaxies. The scientists describe it as “a bridge of stellar matter held in place by the competing tidal forces.”
This stellar material has been fueling the formation of stars in this vast space between the two galaxies.
“This lopsided cosmic tug of war is a snapshot of how large galaxies grow and evolve by devouring smaller galaxies, absorbing their stars and star-forming material,” noted the statement.
In the distant past, a similar process occurred in the Milky Way, leaving behind huge streams of stars in our galaxy's halo.
The merger of two spiral galaxies of the same size is thought to be far more catastrophic than this one. When two massive galaxies collide, the impact creates a brand-new galaxy with its own unique shape and properties.
The Milky Way will undergo a similar galactic merger when it collides with the neighboring Andromeda Galaxy. But that's not going to happen anytime soon, it will take as many as four billion years for the two galaxies to merge into one.
The DECam from the US Department of Energy (DOE) offers remarkable wide-field imaging capabilities. This feature enables astronomers to obtain detailed images of such enormous galactic interactions. Among the other goals, the camera keeps an eye on the impact of dark matter on galaxies throughout the visible Universe.
Additionally, at times, it works in tandem with the 4-meter Blanco telescope to detect light originating from highly faint celestial objects in our Solar System.
SHOW COMMENT (1)
/2023/08/26/image/png/ny1gzL2fwjRLIco8gac58tlSGZKREl4XSp340YAB.png "12 science, tech, and engineering newsletters you need to check out")
/2023/07/09/image/jpeg/zJQEuHMS5v67BKugegCEa7K59vq1AI7lMk8IRyXa.jpg "AI and robots might be the future of battery development")
/2023/07/26/image/jpeg/9Dkowuh7yI1YIB0hFtRiZ5DWxel88daCnm1Eld3Y.jpg "Can AI accurately identify patients with respiratory symptoms?")
/2023/09/23/image/jpeg/KzTBVU7rOz7nuu8hM1QcRJbzrKzWPh1yq3SNc8qx.jpg "MRI reveals long-term organ abnormalities after COVID-19")
/2023/09/23/image/jpeg/8c8AKaiS2DaHDNiaFyfpeC55VYkD2ILU0etRUzfM.jpg "Android 14 Beta now lets you use your phone as a PC webcam")
/2023/09/22/image/jpeg/QdiwYUSgm1SXYVNR6hYJTGg57873RFdy9P7IZvzo.jpg "Solar cars can reduce global charging needs by half")
/2023/09/22/image/jpeg/ezxP0CaCL9js7IHPU0dL2DKNgCnpXB2eKl21dunq.jpg "Canadian telecom uses AI cameras to fight wildfires")
/2023/08/12/image/jpeg/YpIBySMmJsZiGQlarXybqbSBEqLy3heGb8irafUg.jpg "Predictions for what the world will be like in 2100?")
/2023/09/22/image/jpeg/P7SdZBzocsfspOZPW3sqPoEMP3rzACvEMBZrtiNE.jpg "Gold nanoclusters could be the key to hydrogen energy")
/2023/08/03/image/jpeg/i0WvKwEJutV6HfpsUjLkvcQrUxGU6Pps70ufIeE4.jpg "A \"lost world\" from a billion years ago discovered")