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While James Webb is in place and ready to begin observations this summer, Hubble remains strong. The nearly 30-year-old space telescope recently captured two galaxies enclosed in a dance. NASA has shared the image this week and space enthusiasts will want to see it for themselves.
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Hubble captured two closed galaxies in one dance
Two closed galaxies in one dance
The two galaxies shown in the image above at NGC 3227 and NGC 3226. The duo is more collectively known as Arp 94 and can be found about 50 to 60 million light-years away from Earth. While it may not look particularly good in the picture, there are tidal streams of gas and dust that have the two galaxies closed in a dance between them.
It’s a spectacular image and just a reminder of how many unique galaxy formations there are. NASA says Hubble captured the images as part of a study on the measurement of black hole masses. The idea was to measure the mass of black holes in galaxies by observing the gas dynamics at the center.
You can see the Galaxy NGC 3227 on the left. It is a massive spiral galaxy known as the Seyfert Galaxy. Like our own Milky Way galaxy, it has a supermassive black hole at its center. On the right is NGC 3226, an elliptical galaxy that NASA believes previously cannibalized a third galaxy in the area.
Although these two galaxies are closed in a dance, there is also interest in star formation in NGC 3226.
The confusing science of making stars
photo hubble
From everything we know; NASA says NGC 3226 should make new stars. This is because all the energy and debris from the previous galaxy is fed directly into it. But according to a 2014 study, this does not seem to be the case.
The story goes on
Even those two galaxies are locked in a dance, and NGC 3226 is constantly fed by this ancient energy, its rate of star formation is very low. Instead, it appears that the material falling into NGC 3226 collides with another galactic gas. As such, NASA says it is shutting down the formation of new stars instead of feeding them.
It’s an interesting finding and only raises more questions about how galaxies form new stars. NASA believes that NGC 3226 is currently moving from a younger, more active galaxy known as a “blue” galaxy to an older “red” galaxy.
NASA plans to continue studying this “galactic dance” for more clues about the transition from younger to older galaxies. And, people at NASA’s Herschel Science Center believe that someday it could start forming stars again.
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