Arp 116: Odd Galaxy Couple on Space Voyage

Two very different galaxies are seen drifting through space together. The peculiar galaxy pair is called Arp 116. Arp 116 is composed of a giant elliptical galaxy known as Messier 60 (M60) and a much smaller spiral galaxy, NGC 4647. They appear to be at similar distances from our galaxy. This being the case, astronomers have long tried to determine whether these two galaxies are actually interacting. Although looking at them from Earth they overlap, there is no evidence of new star formation, which would be one of the clearest signs that the two galaxies are indeed interacting. However, recent studies of very detailed Hubble images suggest the onset of some tidal interaction between the two.