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Arp 143
A spectacular head-on collision between two galaxies fueled the unusual triangular-shaped star-birthing frenzy, as captured in a new image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The interacting galaxy duo is collectively called Arp 143. The pair contains the glittery, distorted, star-forming spiral galaxy NGC 2445 at right, along with its less flashy companion, NGC 2444 at left.
Astronomers suggest that the galaxies passed through each other, igniting the uniquely shaped star-formation firestorm in NGC 2445, where thousands of stars are bursting to life on the right-hand side of the image. This galaxy is awash in starbirth because it is rich in gas, the fuel that makes stars. However, it hasn't yet escaped the gravitational clutches of its partner NGC 2444, shown on the left side of the image. The pair is waging a cosmic tug-of-war, which NGC 2444 appears to be winning. The galaxy has pulled gas from NGC 2445, forming the oddball triangle of newly minted stars.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.07:46:57
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.+39:00:51
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Lynx
- DistanceDistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.About 191 million light-years
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.Image is 3.3 arcmin across (about 180,000 light-years).
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator. - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.ACS/WFC and WFC3/UVIS
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.19 Apr and 20 Nov 2020
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.ACS/WFC F475W, F606W, F814W; WFC3/UVIS F665N
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Arp 143
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Interacting Galaxies
- Release DateFebruary 22, 2022
- Science ReleaseGalaxy Collision Creates ‘Space Triangle’ in New Hubble Image
- CreditsNASA, ESA, STScI, Julianne Dalcanton (Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Inst. / UWashington)
These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the ACS/WFC and WFC3/UVIS instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope. Several filters were used to sample narrow wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Blue: F475WGreen: F606WRed: F814WRed: F665N
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Details
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
