The distorted spiral galaxy at center, the Penguin, and the compact
elliptical at left, the Egg, are locked in an active embrace. This near- and
mid-infrared image combines data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s
NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), and marks the
telescope’s second year of science. Webb’s view shows that their interaction is
marked by a glow of scattered stars represented in blue. Known jointly as Arp
142, the galaxies made their first pass by one another between 25 and 75
million years ago, causing “fireworks,” or new star formation, in the Penguin.
The galaxies are approximately the same mass, which is why one hasn’t consumed
the other.
Source: The
Penguin and the Egg - NASA
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