For 400 million years these two galaxies have been at odds with each other, but the end of the battle is in sight.
Astronomers have used the Victor M. Blanco telescope to capture a stunning image of the colliding galaxies NGC 1512 and NGC 1510. One day, the two galaxies will merge and become one. The photo clearly shows that the larger barred spiral galaxy and the smaller companion influence each other. For example, a light trail from stars connects both galaxies. Many new stars are born in this region as gas and dust are shaken up.
This space image from the Blanco telescope also shows the surroundings of both galaxies. This makes it easy to see how far the arms of NGC 1512 extend. These galactic ramifications are heavily influenced by the gravity of NGC 1510.
bright blue ring
It is not the first time that this duo has been put on the sensitive plate. In 2017, Hubble photographed this “David and Goliath”. In the Hubble image, a bright blue ring 2,400 light-years across is visible at the center of NGC 1512. This is a breeding ground for many young stars. This ring is less visible in the photo of the Blanco telescope.
The 2017 Hubble photo of NGC 1510 and 1512.
Fireworks in space
It is still unknown when the galaxies will actually merge, but this could take many tens to hundreds of millions of years. Did you know that our own Milky Way Galaxy will one day collide with another galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy? You can read all about it in Claude Doom’s background article about fireworks in space.