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Savage Galaxy Merger revealed by Hubble 


An image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the galaxy (Arp 122), which consists of two galaxies currently undergoing a collision. These galaxies are the inclined and twisted spiral galaxy (NGC 6040) and the elliptical galaxy (LEDA 59642).

This galactic encounter is located approximately 570 million light-years from Earth and also includes the lenticular galaxy (NGC 6041) in the lower-left corner of the image, which is a non-participating member of the galaxy cluster hosting Arp 122.

According to a statement released by NASA commenting on the image, “Galactic collisions are massive but slow events, taking millions of years due to vast distances. These collisions result in significant gravitational changes, transforming the structures of colliding galaxies, possibly leading to the emergence of a single merged galaxy.”

The statement adds, “While the collision depicted in this image may eventually lead to such a merger, the process will unfold over an extended period, providing an intriguing glimpse into the evolving nature of galaxies.”

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