马卡莱恩星系链的双眼

马卡莱恩星系链的双眼

The Eyes in Markarian’s Galaxy Chain
Image Credit & Copyright: Mike Selby

Explanation: Across the heart of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster lies a string of galaxies known as Markarian’s Chain. Prominent in Markarian’s Chain are these two interacting galaxies, NGC 4438 (left) and NGC 4435 – also known as The Eyes. About 50 million light-years away, the two galaxies appear to be about 100,000 light-years apart in this sharp close-up, but have likely approached to within an estimated 16,000 light-years of each other in their cosmic past. Gravitational tides from the close encounter have ripped away at their stars, gas, and dust. The more massive NGC 4438 managed to hold on to much of the material torn out in the collision, while material from the smaller NGC 4435 was more easily lost. The remarkably deep image of this crowded region of the universe also includes many more distant background galaxies.

Tomorrow’s picture: three galaxies

马卡莱恩星系链的双眼
影像提供与版权: Mike Selby

说明: 室女座星系团的中心有一群名为马卡莱恩链的成串星系。而马卡莱恩星系链最吸睛的，则是这二个有马卡莱恩链双眼之称的互扰星系NGC 4438（左）和NGC 4435。这幅清晰特写影像所呈现的这二个星系，距离我们约5,000万光年，二者的间距约为100,000光年，但是在过去的宇宙里，它们可能曾接近到相去只有16,000光年左右。近距离接近时的重力潮汐，剥去了彼此的恒星、气体和尘埃。质量较大的NGC 4438，勉强抓住了因碰撞而撕裂出去的大部分物质，而质量较小的NGC 4435则所存不多。这幅呈现宇宙的星系拥挤区之精彩深空影像，也捕捉到许多更遥远的背景星系。

明日的图片: three galaxies