The Tinker Bell triplet

Using ESO's Very Large Telescope, an international team of astronomers has discovered a stunning rare case of a triple merger of galaxies. This system, which astronomers have dubbed 'The Bird' - although it also bears resemblance with a cosmic Tinker Bell - is composed of two massive spiral galaxies and a third irregular galaxy.

In this image, a 30-min VLT/NACO K-band exposure has been combined with archive HST/ACS B and I-band images to produce a three-colour image of the 'Bird' interacting galaxy system. The NACO image has allowed astronomers to not only see the two previously known galaxies, but to identify a third, clearly separate component, an irregular, yet fairly massive galaxy that seems to form stars at a frantic rate.

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ESO

Om bilden

ID:eso0755a
Typ:Observation
Publiceringsdatum:21 december 2007
Relaterade pressmeddelanden:eso0755
Storlek:1246 x 1139 px

Om objektet

Namn:ESO 593-IG 008, The Bird
Typ:Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting
Avstånd:650 miljon ljusår
Constellation:Sagittarius
Kategori:Galaxies

Mounted Image

Bildformat

Stor jpeg
395,9 kB
Skärmstor jpeg
198,8 kB

Skrivbordsunderlägg

1024x768
242,9 kB
1280x1024
390,9 kB
1600x1200
525,9 kB
1920x1200
580,8 kB
2048x1536
773,1 kB

Koordinater

Position (RA):19 14 31.08
Position (Dec):-21° 19' 9.36"
Field of view:0.60 x 0.55 arcminutes
Orientering:Nord är 0.2° vänster om lodrätt

Färger och filter

BandTeleskop
Infrarött
K
Very Large Telescope
NACO
Synligt ljus
B
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS
Infrarött
I
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS