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Image of spiral galaxies obtained from observations made by the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes. Source: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Two powerful space telescopes, the James Webb and Hubble, allowed scientists to capture images of spiral galaxies known as IC 2163 and NGC 2207. The merger of these two space objects in the NASA photo looks like a pair of blood-soaked eyes.
The pair of galaxies is located at a distance of about 80 million light years from Earth in the Canis Major constellation, the "Big Dog." According to the researchers, the galaxies are in the process of colliding and merging into one, and this process will last about a billion years, Space.com reports.
A galaxy merger is a long-term process, scientists emphasize. It's not a simple boom, but rather a dance where galaxies circle each other before finally merging into one. Interestingly, NGC 2207 and IC 2163 have already passed each other millions of years ago, and now they are spinning again, ScienceAlert writes.
In the images from the telescopes, both galaxies have a noticeable spiral structure and are united by mutual attraction. This interaction causes both galaxies to ignite to form stars, astronomers say.
"Stare deeply at these galaxies. They appear as if blood is pumping through the top of a flesh-free face. The long, ghastly 'stare' of their searing eye-like cores shines out into the supreme cosmic darkness," Webb's team wrote.
In the Hubble telescope image, the star-filled arms of the spiral galaxies glow blue, while the cores of both galaxies are visible in bright orange.
And in Webb's image, taken with the MIRI instrument, the cold dust of both galaxies glows an eerie white. At the bottom of this photo is a bright spot with characteristic octagonal star-like "diffraction spikes" created by the telescope's mirrors. At this location, "many stars are forming in quick succession," Webb's team noted.
According to astronomers, the two spiral galaxies give rise to about two dozen new stars the size of our Sun every year. In recent decades, the pair has also hosted seven known supernovae, much more than our own galaxy, the Milky Way, sees one every 50 years.
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