Stunning Hubble Space Telescope image of Arp 274, a system of three interacting galaxies in the constellation Virgo. Two large spiral galaxies are in the process of colliding, with a smaller galaxy visible on the far left. This cosmic dance, spanning 200,000 light-years and located 400 million light-years away, showcases the gravitational interaction between galaxies, where stars rarely collide but gas and dust do, ultimately leading to potential black hole mergers over hundreds of millions of years.

Astronomy Picture from 23/01/2023

The Colliding Spiral Galaxies of Arp 274

Source: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230123.html


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