The irregular galaxy NGC 4485 shows all the signs of having been
involved in a hit-and-run accident with a bypassing galaxy. Rather than
destroying the galaxy, the chance encounter is spawning a new generation
of stars, and presumably planets.
The right side of the galaxy is ablaze with star formation, shown in
the plethora of young blue stars and star-incubating pinkish nebulas.
The left side, however, looks intact. It contains hints of the galaxy’s
previous spiral structure, which, at one time, was undergoing normal
galactic evolution.
The larger culprit galaxy, NGC 4490, is off the bottom of the frame.
The two galaxies sideswiped each other millions of years ago and are
now 24,000 light-years apart. The gravitational tug-of-war between them
created rippling patches of higher-density gas and dust within both
galaxies. This activity triggered a flurry of star formation.
This galaxy is a nearby example of the kind of cosmic bumper-car
activity that was more common billions of years ago when the universe
was smaller and galaxies were closer together.
NGC 4485 lies 25 million light-years away in the northern constellation Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs).
This new image, captured by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3),
provides further insight into the complexities of galaxy evolution.
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Galaxy Blazes With New Stars Born From Close Encounter - Eurasia Review
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