Hubble image shows two spiral galaxies at the same time, not colliding

An image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope reveals a coupling between two galaxies. The spiral galaxy NGC 105, located 215 million light-years from Earth, appears to be in an inevitable collision with its neighboring galaxy, but in fact this impression is nothing more than a transverse alignment of its positions in the sky.

The galaxy NGC 105, discovered by the French astronomer Edouard Stéphane in 1884, is located in the direction of Pisces It extends over 83,700 light years.

Although another, more elongated galaxy, LEDA 212515 – still unknown to astronomers – appears to be on a collision course With NGC 105, it’s actually very far from that happening.

What the image reveals is a coincidental coupling in the night sky – such events are common in astronomy. The constellations observed on Earth show patterns only because of the alignment of the stars that make up them.

distance variables

The image is part of the Hubble data set used to examine nearby galaxies that have two phenomena: Cephas and . catastrophic supernova explosion. While the first is a star of variable brightness, the second is the end of life of a massive star.

These phenomena are fundamental to Measuring the vast distances of the universe. “By measuring how bright they are when observed from Earth, these ‘standard candles’ can provide reliable distance measurements,” said the European Space Agency (ESA) astronomers involved in the analysis.

NGC 105 contains many supernovae and epitopes, giving astronomers the opportunity to calibrate distance measurement techniques as accurately as possible. Recently, the galaxy has also been used to measure The speed at which the universe is expanding.

source: European Space Agency / Hubble; via fantasy news