This is Stephen's Quintet, A compact group of galaxies, discovered about 130 years ago, located about 280 million light years from Earth. The curved, light blue ridge running down the center of the image shows X-ray data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The galaxy in the middle, NGC 7318b is passing through the core of the other galaxies at high speed and is thought to be causing the ridge of X-ray emission by generating a shock wave that heats the gas. The most prominent galaxy in front (NGC 7320) is actually far away from the other galaxies and is not part of the group.
Additional heating by supernova explosions and stellar winds has also probably taken place in Stephan's Quintet. A larger halo of X-ray emission – not shown here – detected by ESA's XMM-Newton could be evidence of shock-heating by previous collisions between galaxies in this group. Some of the X-ray emission is likely also caused by binary systems containing massive stars that are losing material to neutron stars or black holes.
Stephan's Quintet provides a rare opportunity to observe a galaxy group in the process of evolving from an X-ray faint system dominated by spiral galaxies to a more developed system dominated by elliptical galaxies and bright X-ray emission. Being able to witness the dramatic effect of collisions in causing this evolution is important for increasing our understanding of the origins of the hot, X-ray bright halos of gas in groups of galaxies.
Source: Chandra
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- pjacobs51
- added this
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Beautiful image and yes I would love to inhabit the universe and see the views of galaxies on a daily basis.
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is that the face of God?
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- matlaroche
- 4 months ago
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In my next life I am coming back as a space explorer. That is, if I don't get to explore it when my soul leaves this planet.
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Imagine how peaceful and amazing it is out in the middle of space... And Imagine what's at the exact center of the universe!?!?!?!?!
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This is kinda scary its like that one movie
"Dark City" where the city/planet is exploding but the only comfort i get from space is the Sun, but even then it will kill us all , if we dont start exploring space and colonize planets our dessendants will live in a living hell with no water and deal with 200 degree weather and Aliens On the Internet will Write milky way galaxy "Beautiful Chaos". -
Sounds like a party
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This is why philosophers refer to God as "First Cause".
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- unclecharlie
- 4 months ago
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well i'll bet if there are any living creatures on some of those planets they may find they have neighbors very abrubtly, and violently, either from their planets crashing or religious wars blaming eachother for bringing the god(s) wrath upon them.
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- Revelation_Machine
- 4 months ago
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Super boring galaxies have life. Astronomers should be looking for more boring galaxies. When they find one that's generating a lot of static it's either Life or they've discovered the biggest mirror in the universe.
Static is the giveaway for lots of petty bureaucrats.
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- Gravity_Man
- 4 months ago
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