Since the launch of James Web, the long-awaited space telescope has grabbed all the limelight. However, its predecessor, the Hubble space telescope, still mesmerizes us with its breathtaking images of the heavens. Hubble has added yet another spectacular image to its long list of mind-blowing space imagery.
Recently, Hubble captured an image of a star bridge that looks magnificent, to say the least. In its latest release, Nasa revealed an image taken by Hubble of a galactic triplet, Arp 248. The image reveals three galaxies, two of which are connected by a long tail of stars making a bridge creating an extravagant display of galactic art.
Three Galaxies Engaged In a Mesmerising Galactic Dance
The Arp 248 is a system of three Galaxies, and from our vantage points, they seem to be in an everlasting dance enhanced by the star-studded backdrop. Two of the galaxies in the foreground appear to be connected by a long stretch of stars, creating a bridge or hands of two lovers stretched to hold each other forever.
There’s another companion in the background, just there enjoying the galactic dance and adding to the radiance. The image was captured by Hubble, our eyes to deep space for over thirty years.
What’s Causing The Unfathomably Long Star Bridge?
The ARP 248 system consists of three massive galaxies. The concentrated mass of these galaxies is sending ripples down the space through gravitational force and exerting a massive pull on each other. The massive gravitational force is what has created the stretched field of stars spread through the space of million light years. This has created the tidal tail that we see in Hubble’s image – a combination of stars and irradiated dust particles creating the spectacular work of space art.
Tidal tales are a common occurrence and result when two massive galaxies tread too close to each other or are on a collision course. Our own galaxy, the milky way, is on a collision course with our neighboring galaxy, Andromeda. Both these galaxies will exert a strong gravitational pull on each other that might result in a tidal tail.
Galaxies Merger – A Violent Cosmic Event
Wherever there is a tidal tail between two galaxies, it’s almost sure they are up for a great merger. Galaxies in ARP 248 will eventually merge to form one behemoth of the galaxy. The same fate is due to our Milky Way and the approaching Andromeda. However, galaxy mergers are not as violent as they may appear. It’s because of the unimaginably large distance between stars. Therefore, head-on collision during a galaxy merger is rare; rather, stars settle within close proximity of each other in galactic terms – no violent collision.
Hubble Still Amazing Us with Interesting Discoveries
Hubble has been engaging us with a continuous stream of star-studded images that display the wonders of space in all its glory. Since its launch in 1990, Hubble has captured everything from hot suns to exploding supernovas. It has immensely contributed to our understanding of space and fueled countless studies to uncover the mysteries of the heavens. Hubble has now become a legend, a symbol of Man’s determination and the unquenching thirst for knowledge. Although it’s now aging and most of its equipment has begun to show signs of degradation, Hubble continues to astound us still, and the latest is the breathtaking image of the ARP 248 system with its star bridge in the full spectacle.
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