NGC 6786
This Hubble image displays a beautiful pair of interacting spiral galaxies with swirling arms. The smaller of the two, dubbed LEDA 62867 and positioned to the left of the frame, seems to be safe for now, but will probably be swallowed by the larger spiral galaxy, NGC 6786 (to the right), eventually. There is already some disturbance visible in both components. The pair is number 538 in Karachentsev's Catalogue of Pairs of Galaxies. A supernova was seen to explode in the large spiral in 2004. NGC 6786 is located in the constellation of Draco, the Dragon, about 350 million light-years away.
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: | heic0810am |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 24 April 2008, 15:00 |
| Related releases: | heic0810 |
| Size: | 3572 x 3572 px |
About the Object
| Name: | NGC 6786 |
| Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting |
| Distance: | 350 million light years |
| Constellation: | Draco |
| Category: | Anniversary Galaxies |
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 19 11 0.70 |
| Position (Dec): | 73° 24' 59.26" |
| Field of view: | 2.97 x 2.97 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 63.9° left of vertical |
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 |