Dance spectacular galaxies in the direction of destruction

Image of NGC 6872 (left) and companion Galaxy IC 4970 (right) locked in a tango as the two galaxies interact gravitation. The galaxies are about 200 million light years away in the constellation of pavo (the Peacock) direction. Image credit: Sydney girls high school astronomy club, Travis Rector (University of Alaska, anchorage, Alaska), ángel López Sánchez (Australian Astronomical Observatory/Macquarie University) and the Australian Office Gemini.

More than just a pretty picture? I'll tell! This beautiful image of the Galaxy pair NGC 6872 and IC 4970 a competition for pupils in Australia was scientifically useful (and aesthetically) to get images with the Gemini Observatory. The winners were students from the Sydney girls high school astronomy club in central Sydney, suggested that Gemini study these two galaxies that are accepted in a graceful Galactic dance as the team described in his essay to support their entry - "…will also serve"", the location of the milky way and the Andromeda Galaxy in millions of years demonstrate."

We can only hope we look this pretty millions of years from now!

This image shows happens when galaxies interact, and as the gravitational forces distort what, and ripped way on their original structure. Spiral galaxies may need extending their arms out enormous distances: in NGC 6872, who was arms extended, the hundreds of thousands of light years include - many times further than the spiral arms of our own Milky way. Hundreds of millions of years, NGC 6872 weapons of the Central sector of the Galaxy, and the companion Galaxy falls back towards (IC 4970) will be finally merged in NGC 6872.

But that is another beautiful picture, as Galaxy mergers often leads to an outbreak of new star formation. Already, created the blue light of before recently cluster dot the outer reaches of NGC 6872 elongated arms. Dark finger of dust and gas along the poor enjoy the visible light. That dust and gas is the raw material, future generations could be born from those stars.

Astronomy Club Executive Council the Gemini image for the entire Club received members of SGHS. Photo credit: Australian Gemini Office.

Learn more about the competition and the winning team on this article on the Gemini Web site. Also a new contest is underway for Australian students in 2011, and for more information, see this link.

Source: Gemini Observatory

Tagged as: astronomy for children, citizen science, galaxies, Gemini Observatory

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