Jun 24, 2014
Future Fate of Our Galaxy?
What will happen when we, in our Milky Way Galaxy, make a first pass with our ever-closing neighbor the Andromeda Galaxy? Arp 293 might very well be the result. The Schulman Telescope reveals, perhaps for the first time as a full color image, the intimate details of this interaction. These two spiral galaxies are becoming extremely distorted with the upper member's central disk being warped dramatically. Don't miss the very strange elliptical-shell galaxy (PGC 59348) near the bottom right of the field (probably also captured for the first time).
Image Credit: ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA