Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Acknowledgement: Luca Limatola
Acknowledgement: Luca Limatola
When we look into the distant cosmos, the great majority of the
objects we see are galaxies: immense gatherings of stars, planets, gas,
dust, and dark matter, showing up in all kind of shapes. This Hubble
picture registers several, but the galaxy catalogued as 2MASX
J05210136-2521450 stands out at a glance due to its interesting shape.
This object is an ultraluminous infrared galaxy which emits a
tremendous amount of light at infrared wavelengths. Scientists connect
this to intense star formation activity, triggered by a collision
between two interacting galaxies.
The merging process has left its signs: 2MASX J05210136-2521450
presents a single, bright nucleus and a spectacular outer structure
that consists of a one-sided extension of the inner arms, with a tidal
tail heading in the opposite direction, formed from material ripped out
from the merging galaxies by gravitational forces.
The image is a combination of exposures taken by Hubble’s Advanced
Camera for Surveys, using near-infrared and visible light. A version of
this image was submitted to the Hubble’s Hidden Treasures image processing competition by contestant Luca Limatola.
