Space - II ZW 96: the chaotic crash of two galaxies
Space · 0:43
Approximately 500 million light-years away in the constellation Delphinus, two galaxies are locked in a violent merger known as II ZW 96. The gravitational disruption has warped their spiral arms and created a chaotic swirl connected by bright tendrils of star formation. Because newly born stars heat surrounding dust, the colliding system glows exceptionally bright in infrared wavelengths observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. Studying II ZW 96 allows astronomers to see how galactic collisions trigger massive bursts of star birth.
Source: ESA/Webb
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