The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revealed an adorable cosmic discovery via her official Instagram page.
The released images reveal a pair of penguin- and egg-shaped galaxies captured by NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, known as Arp 142.
Located an impressive 23 million light-years away, these galaxies offer a unique view of the cosmos, being approximately 10 times further away from us than the Andromeda galaxy.
The Andromeda Galaxy has a barred spiral shape and is the closest neighbor to the Milky Way, which is the galaxy that houses our Solar System.
How does NASA describe these galaxies?
The recognized ‘penguin’ part of the pair has been officially identified as NGC 2936. This Galaxy presents a spiral shape twisted and distorted by the attraction of its neighbor, forming the fascinating set called Arp 142.
NASA describes the ‘penguin’ galaxy as featuring twisted filaments of blue and red, outlining the shape of a penguin in the galactic body’s white, speckled glow.
Image of galaxies captured by NASA telescopes – Image: NASA/Reproduction
Strands of rusty lines cascade from the penguin’s ‘beak’ to its ‘torso’, thus creating a true cosmic spectacle against a black background dotted with small, faint stars, as well as two stars brighter at the top of the image.
On the other hand, the ‘Egg’ galaxy, officially NGC 2937, features a smooth distribution of old stars, obscuring any shape caused by its neighbor.
Positioned just below the “Penguin”, this galaxy appears as a bright turquoise rectangle.
Image of galaxies captured by NASA telescopes – Image: NASA/Reproduction
NASA suggests that over time, gravity will bring the two galaxies closer together until they eventually merge into a single entity, a common phenomenon in the history of large galaxies, including the Milky Way.
These initial images of Arp 142 were captured by NASA’s Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes in 2018.
Now, with the anticipation of the launch of James Webb Space Telescopean even sharper view is expected, capturing all wavelengths of light from these cosmic phenomena.
