The isolated menagerie of five galaxies is caught in a gravitational dance.
In a lonely patch of the universe, five tightly grouped galaxies engage in a leisurely dance. Called the Hickson Compact Group 40 (HCG 40), this eclectic bunch includes three spiral-shaped galaxies, an elliptical galaxy and a lenticular (lens-like) galaxy. In about 1 billion years, they will collide and merge to form a giant elliptical galaxy. For its 32nd birthday, Hubble captured these galaxies at a very special moment in their lifetimes as they fall together and continue their dance, but before they merge.
Scientists have cataloged more than 100 such compact galaxy groups, but HCG 40 is one of the most densely packed. Tight groups like this may have been more common in the early universe when their superheated, infalling material may have fueled very energetic black holes called quasars. Studying nearby groups like HCG 40 helps astronomers learn about how galaxies formed.
Find additional articles, images, and videos at HubbleSite.org
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