ESO 239-IG002
ESO239 is most likely the result of a cosmic collision or a lengthy merger process that will eventually result in an elliptical galaxy. The messy intermediate stage, captured here, is a galaxy with long, tangled tidal tails that envelope the galaxy's core.
This image is part of a large collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.
Credit:
NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
About the Image
| Id: | heic0810bc |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 24 April 2008, 15:00 |
| Related release: | heic0810 |
| Size: | 3253 x 3253 px |
About the Object
| Name: | ESO 239-2 |
| Type: | • Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting |
| Distance: | 550 million light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
| Optical B |
435 nm | Hubble Space Telescope ACS |
| Optical Pseudogreen (B+I) |
Hubble Space Telescope ACS | |
| Infrared I |
814 nm | Hubble Space Telescope ACS |