Like the camera-clutching paparazzi who stalk Gwyneth and Brad, Hubble telescope operators are also interested in the strange couplings of stars.
Published:
6 August 2001 y., Monday
This just-snapped image shows a pair of galaxies in a state of complete abandon: one galaxy (unceremoniously called "ESO 510-G13") has met and mingled with another, and they're in the process of "spawning" new stars.
And when two galaxies collide, they merge into a giant disc whose edges quiver like teenagers in love.
By contrast, normal galaxies -- like our own Milky Way -- have a nice clean edge when viewed from the side. They're well put together, unruffled by the wants of their celestial neighbors, according to the Space Telescope Science Institute.
The commingling galaxies are about 150 million light years away in the Hydra constellation; it can be seen because of light provided from the galaxy's "bright, smooth central bulge," the institute said.
On the right side of the galaxy, scattered amidst the interstellar dust, there are a few bright bluish clouds.
"This shows that hot, young stars are being formed in the disc," according to the STSI, which is enough to make one blush.
Šaltinis:
wired.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Since the update of 24 July, Azerbaijan and the Republic of Moldova have reported their first laboratory-confirmed cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection.
more »
The holiday season has arrived. Your suitcases are packed, your neighbours are watering the plants and feeding the cat and your tickets are ready.
more »
Topping up your tan on a sunbed is being compared to the cancer risks associated with smoking.
more »
Twenty countries are teaming up to study Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, in the first test of a new approach to research in Europe.
more »
The European Commission adopted concrete proposals to tackle Alzheimer’s disease, dementias and other neurodegenerative conditions.
more »
The increasing number of cases in many countries, with sustained community transmission, made confirming them through laboratory testing extremely difficult and resource intensive.
more »
The EU’s food safety alert system picks up dangerous food products before they land on your plate.
more »
WHO publishes its first guidelines on indoor air quality, addressing dampness and mould.
more »
Hannah Clark is a reluctant star - she's facing the media because she's a medical miracle.
more »
EU countries urged to pass tougher anti-smoking laws.
more »