Spitzer Space Telescope and Galaxy Evolution Explorer spacecraft (GALEX) managed to capture the image of the collision antargalaksi from start to finish. Researchers at Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who make this observation, Lauranne Lanz, presenting the image in the American Society Meeting in Boston.
Two colliding galaxies are NGC 935 and IC 1801. The observations of astronomers shows that when two galaxies collide and form larger galaxies, the destruction spurred the formation of clouds of gas and dust. Furthermore, the accident will spur the formation of more stars.
"This image is the first step to know the story of how galaxies form, evolve, and evolve," said Lanz. According to him, this picture gives a better understanding of what might happen when the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies collide 5 billion next year.
In taking the images, GALEX role emit ultraviolet light to image the young stars in blue. While the Spitzer telescope that emit infrared light illuminates a heated dust in red. Paired two tools that generate rich data.
Lanz said, in each collision of galaxies, the resulting number of stars will vary. Now, he is researching the factors that influence those variations. Lanz also worked hard to test their understanding. "Our understanding will be really tested 5 billion years when the Milky Way in a collision," said Lanz.