Hubble captures stunning gravitational interaction among a trio of galaxies
NASA has published a stunning image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope that shows a 'three-way gravitational tug-of-war among interacting galaxies.' The galaxies in the show are in system Arp 195, a system featured in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, a list of the 'weirder and more wonderful galaxies in the universe.'
Arp 195, otherwise known as UGC 4653, is a galaxy with material ejected from nuclei. It's one of 15 Arp-numbered galaxies with this characteristic. All but one of these galaxies are interacting or have recently interacted with other celestial objects. The trademark tidal features of the galaxies, including Arp 195, appear to be the result of gravitational interactions.
 |
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton. Click to enlarge. |
Hubble's new sighting is in the Lynx constellation, about 747 million light-years from Earth. It's fantastic to see new images from Hubble, as the venerable space telescope suffered significant downtime following a computer glitch earlier this summer. Hubble recently returned to service and celebrated by publishing a pair of stunning monochromatic images last month.
 |
'These images, from a program led by Julianne Dalcanton of the University of Washington in Seattle, demonstrate Hubble's return to full science operations. [Left] ARP-MADORE2115-273 is a rarely observed example of a pair of interacting galaxies in the southern hemisphere. [Right] ARP-MADORE0002-503 is a large spiral galaxy with unusual, extended spiral arms. While most disk galaxies have an even number of spiral arms, this one has three.' Text and image credit: Science: NASA, ESA, STScI, Julianne Dalcanton (UW) Image processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI). Click to enlarge. |
The hiatus aside, Hubble's observational time is valuable. NASA writes, 'Observing time with Hubble is extremely valuable, so astronomers don't want to waste a second. The schedule for Hubble observations is calculated using a computer algorithm which allows the spacecraft to occasionally gather bonus snapshots of data between longer observations. This image of the clashing triplet of galaxies in Arp 195 is one such snapshot. Extra observations such as these do more than provide spectacular images – they also help to identify promising targets to follow up with using telescopes such as the upcoming NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.'
Hubble offers a unique look into distant space, and it's great to see that the telescope is working well following its concerning issue. If you'd like to see more of what Hubble is up to, you can check out an image gallery here.
Fujifilm's X-H2 is a high-resolution stills and video camera, that sits alongside the high-speed X-H2S at the pinnacle of the company's range of X-mount APS-C mirrorless cameras. We dug into what it does and what it means.
Holy Stone produces dozens of low-cost drone models aimed at consumers. We look at the HS710 and HS175D to see if they stack up to other sub-250g offerings. Are these secretly great or more like toys?
It's small, light, cheap and extremely wide but is it any good?
After weeks with a production Fujifilm X-T5, Chris and Jordan have some final thoughts.
The EOS R6 II arrives in one of the most competitive parts of the market, facing off against some very capable competition. We think it rises to the challenge.
Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a 'best' option. We case our eye over the options costing more than $2500 but less than $4000, to find the best all-rounder.
There are a lot of photo/video cameras that have found a role as B-cameras on professional film productions or even A-cameras for amateur and independent productions. We've combed through the options and selected our two favorite cameras in this class.
What’s the best camera for around $2000? These capable cameras should be solid and well-built, have both the speed and focus to capture fast action and offer professional-level image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing around $2000 and recommended the best.
Family moments are precious and sometimes you want to capture that time spent with loved ones or friends in better quality than your phone can manage. We've selected a group of cameras that are easy to keep with you, and that can adapt to take photos wherever and whenever something memorable happens.
What's the best camera for shooting sports and action? Fast continuous shooting, reliable autofocus and great battery life are just three of the most important factors. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting sports and action, and recommended the best.
Comments