6 NASA images of Arp 107: Why are those mysterious ‘galactic eyes’ looking at you from space?

The US Space Agency shared stunning images of Arp 107, a pair of colliding galaxies. Captured by the Spitzer Space Telescope, these visuals illustrate star formation and feature a supermassive black hole, emphasizing the captivating nature of interacting galaxies in space.

Livemint
Updated23 Sep 2024, 01:56 PM IST
Check 6 different NASA images of Arp 107 pair of interacting galaxies, akin to 'galactic eyes'
Check 6 different NASA images of Arp 107 pair of interacting galaxies, akin to ’galactic eyes’(NASA)

Interacting galaxies have always caught the attention of space agencies like NASA, ESA, etc. Their spectacular visuals have always been at the centre of attraction for many space enthusiasts. The internet is filled with mesmerising NASA images of such galaxies, which can be easily associated with numerous figures of living creatures like animals and birds.

The US Space Agency recently shared a new image of Arp 107, a pair of interacting galaxies. Although the interaction between an elliptical galaxy and a spiral galaxy would take millions of years to complete, the image of Arp 107 might remind the viewers of an eerie gaze straight from space. Here are five different NASA images of Arp 107.

5 NASA images of Arp 107, the bright pair of ‘galactic eyes’

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NASA image of Arp 107 formed from inputs of Hubble space telescope.
NASA image of Arp 107 formed by inputs from James Webb telescope
Another mesmerising view of the galactic eyes is shown by Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument).

This NASA image of the galactic eyes with a tint of blue was caught by Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). A careful look at the photo would also enable the viewers to identify the supermassive black hole that lies in the centre of the large spiral galaxy to the right.

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The massive black hole also shows Webb's ability to characterise diffraction spikes caused by the light that it emits interacting with the structure of the telescope itself.

 

The collage of three different images of galaxy pair Arp 107 shows the interacting galaxy in light of different wavelength.

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope's sensitive infrared detectors capture the three images of the interacting galaxies in different colours. 

The three images can help map out faint regions of new star formation in this pair of colliding galaxies, known as Arp 107. Like a beautiful pearl necklace, young star clusters have formed along the ring-like tidal arm in this system. 

Know more about Arp 107

Those who want to know more about Arp 107 interacting galaxy and understand what would happen to the pair after millions of years can watch the NASA video mentioned below: 

What are interacting galaxies?

Galaxies are magnificent yet delicate structures. When they pass near one another or collide, their gravitational forces interact, stretching and warping their shapes. Typically, when two galaxies collide, they eventually merge into a single entity, a process that seems to be a common aspect of galaxy formation. Interestingly, during these encounters, it's not the stars that collide but rather the gas clouds within the galaxies.

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First Published:23 Sep 2024, 01:56 PM IST
Business NewsScienceNews6 NASA images of Arp 107: Why are those mysterious ‘galactic eyes’ looking at you from space?

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