An Interacting Colossus: NGC 6872

This picture, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, shows a galaxy known as NGC 6872 in the constellation of Pavo (the Peacock). Its unusual shape is caused by its interactions with the smaller galaxy that can be seen just above NGC 6872, called IC 4970. From tip to tip, NGC 6872 measures over 500,000 light-years across. To put that into perspective, our own galaxy, the Milky Way, measures between 100,000 and 120,000 light-years across, making NGC 6872 about five times its size.