When galaxies collide
This delicate smudge in deep space is far more turbulent than it first appears. Known as IRAS 14348-1447 — a name derived in part from that of its discoverer, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS for short) — this celestial object is actually a combination of two gas-rich spiral galaxies. This doomed duo approached one another too closely in the past, gravity causing them to affect and tug at each other and slowly, destructively, merge into one. The image was taken by Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). IRAS 14348-1447 is located over a billion light-years away from us. It is one of the most gas-rich examples known of an ultraluminous infrared galaxy, a class of cosmic objects that shine characteristically — and incredibly — brightly in the infrared part of the spectrum. Almost 95% of the energy emitted by IRAS 14348-1447 is in the far-infrared!
ESA/Hubble & NASA
About the Image
Id: | potw1701a |
Type: | Observation |
Release date: | 2 January 2017, 06:00 |
Size: | 2185 x 1587 px |
About the Object
Name: | IRAS 14348-1447 |
Type: | Early Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting Early Universe : Galaxy : Activity : Ultraluminous |
Distance: | 1 billion light years |
Constellation: | Libra |
Category: | Galaxies |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
Position (RA): | 14 37 37.92 |
Position (Dec): | -15° 0' 27.98" |
Field of view: | 1.82 x 1.32 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 18.1° right of vertical |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Optical B | 435 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Optical I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |