Colliding Galaxy Duo | Space Wallpaper

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Arp 142 galaxy duo space wallpaper
What looks like a celestial hummingbird in this stunning space wallpaper is really the result of a collision between a spiral and an elliptical galaxy at a whopping 326 million light- years away. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA))

What looks like a celestial hummingbird in this stunning space wallpaper is really the result of a collision between a spiral and an elliptical galaxy at a whopping 326 million light- years away. The flat disk of the spiral NGC 2936 is warped into the profile of a bird by the gravitational tug of the companion NGC 2937. The object was first cataloged as a "peculiar galaxy" by Halton Arp in the 1960s. This interacting galaxy duo is collectively called Arp 142. This image was released June 20, 2013

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