Optical Image of the 'Tadpole' Galaxy, an Interacting Galaxy (IMAGE)

Case Western Reserve University

Optical Image of the 'Tadpole' Galaxy, an Interacting Galaxy

Caption

Material stripped from the galaxy during its collision with a smaller galaxy (seen in the upper left corner of the larger interaction partner) forms a long tidal tail. Young blue stars, star clusters and tidal dwarf galaxies are born in these tidal debris. These objects move in a common direction within a plane defined by the orientation and motion of their tidal tail. A similar galaxy interaction might have occurred in the Local Group in the past, which could explain the distribution of dwarf galaxies in co-rotating planes.

Credit

UGC 10214 ("The Tadpole"): http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic0206a/ Credit: NASA, Holland Ford (JHU), the ACS Science Team and ESA

Usage Restrictions

please give proper credit

License

Licensed content

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.