25/03/2019 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along
with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

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25/03/2019 Astronomy Picture of the Day

2019 March 25

Arp 194: Merging Galaxy Group

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt

Explanation: Why are stars forming in the bridge between these colliding galaxies? Usually when galaxies
crash, star formation is confined to galaxy disks or tidal tails. In Arp 194, though, there are bright knots of
young stars right in a connecting bridge. Analyses of images and data including the featured image of Arp
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25/03/2019 Astronomy Picture of the Day

194 from Hubble, as well as computer simulations of the interaction, indicate that the bottom galaxy passed
right through the top galaxy within the past 100 million years. The result has left a stream of gas that is now
falling toward the bottom galaxy. Astronomers hypothesize that stars form in this bridge because of the recent
fading of turbulence after the rapid collision. In about a billion years, the galaxies -- including a smaller
galaxy superposed on the upper galaxy (see it?) -- will all merge into one larger galaxy.

Tomorrow's picture: flaming star

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