esahubble_opo0034a November 2nd, 2000
Credit: Roger Lynds (KPNO/NOAO), NASA/ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA).
What appears as a bird's head, leaning over to snatch up a tasty meal, is a striking example of a galaxy collision in NGC 6745. A large spiral galaxy, with its nucleus still intact, peers at the smaller passing galaxy (nearly out of the field of view at lower right), while a bright blue beak and bright whitish-blue top feathers show the distinct path taken during the smaller galaxy's journey. These galaxies did not merely interact gravitationally as they passed one another, they actually collided.
Provider: Hubble Space Telescope | ESA
Image Source: https://esahubble.org/images/opo0034a/
Curator: ESA/Hubble, Baltimore, MD, United States
Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
Providers | Sign In