When you see multiple extragalactic nebula right on top of each other , like in this paradigm , it ’s unremarkably an visual illusion , and the wandflower are in reality millions of lite - years asunder . That ’s on-key of one of the galaxies in this photograph … but only one .
There are five galaxies in this image – the two bright spots of yellow right next to each other are two distinct galaxies . Together , they form the first identified example of what ’s know as a stocky galaxy group . It was originally call Stephan ’s Quintet , but , as NASA explains , one of the members had to drop out :
About 300 million low-cal - years aside , only four of these five galaxy are really locked in a cosmic dance of repeated close skirmish . The odd man out is easy to spot , though . The interacting galaxy , NGC 7319 , 7318A , 7318B , and 7317 have an overall yellowish casting . They also be given to have distorted loops and tails , grow under the influence of disruptive gravitative tide . But the predominantly bluish galaxy , NGC 7320 , is closer , just 40 million abstemious - year distant , and is n’t part of the interacting radical .
While the persona up top is pretty damn breathtaking – particularly if you click to expand it to its full resolution , which I ’d advocate – it might not be the most helpful in maintain all the different galaxy of Stephan ’s Quintet / Quartet straight . To that ending , here ’s a useful diagram of all the galaxies fromthe Hubble Site .
As you might notice , there ’s a fifth galaxy on the far leftfield of the diagram which is n’t in the image up top . That 5th galaxy , NGC 7320C , happen to be 300 million scant - years forth , just like the other four galaxies , and it ’s call back this special galaxyhas crashed the tightly rumple quartetat least once or doubly , crashing through the centre of the group and rip away gas before come back for another pass . This Galax urceolata would get the number back up to a quintet – but make no mistake , NGC 7320C is the forged son in this particular cosmic terpsichore group .
ViaNASA .
AstronomyScience
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