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Galactic Train Wrecks

May 25, 2011
This montage combines observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spacecraft showing three examples of colliding galaxies from a new photo atlas of galactic 'train wrecks.'

3-Panel Poster for PIA14097
3-Panel Poster

click here for larger view of NGC 470 and NGC 474click here for larger view of NGC 3448 and UGC 6016click here for larger view of NGC 935 and IC 1801
NGC 470 and NGC 474NGC 3448 and UGC 6016NGC 935 and IC 1801
Click on individual image for larger view

This montage shows three examples of colliding galaxies from a new photo atlas of galactic "train wrecks." The new images combine observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which observes infrared light, and NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spacecraft, which observes ultraviolet light. By analyzing information from different parts of the light spectrum, scientists can learn much more than from a single wavelength alone, because different components of a galaxy are highlighted.

The panel at far left shows NGC 470 (top) and NGC 474 (bottom); at top right are NGC 3448 and UGC 6016; at bottom right are NGC 935 and IC 1801. In this representative-color image, far-ultraviolet light from GALEX is blue, 3.6-micron light from Spitzer is cyan, 4.5-micron light from Spitzer is green, and red shows light at 5.8 and 8 microns from Spitzer.

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