Hubble's newest camera takes a deep look at two merging galaxies
Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), the newest camera on NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, has captured a spectacular pair of galaxies engaged in a celestial dance of cat and mouse or, in this case, mouse and mouse.
Located 300 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices, the colliding galaxies have been nicknamed "The Mice" because of the long tails of stars and gas emanating from each galaxy. Otherwise known as NGC 4676, the pair will eventually merge into a single giant galaxy.
Credit:About the Image
Id: | heic0206b |
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Type: | Observation |
Release date: | 30 April 2002, 15:00 |
Related releases: | heic0206 |
Size: | 3857 x 2893 px |
About the Object
Name: | Mice Galaxies, NGC 4676 |
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Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting |
Distance: | 300 million light years |
Constellation: | Coma Berenices |
Category: | Galaxies |
Wallpapers
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1600x1200
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Coordinates
Position (RA): | 12 46 10.40 |
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Position (Dec): | 30° 43' 38.77" |
Field of view: | 3.21 x 2.41 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 64.6° right of vertical |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
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Optical B | 475 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Optical V | 606 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Infrared I | 804 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |