An uncommon elliptical galaxy with a historical past of absorbing smaller galaxies seems to be approaching its subsequent goal.
New photos from the Very Giant Telescope (VLT) on the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Paranal Observatory counsel that the galaxy, often called NGC 3640, could quickly merge with a smaller galactic companion. Positioned 88 million light-years from Earth, NGC 3640 belongs to a bunch of galaxies that vary in form and dimension, together with its personal uncommon oval or egg form.
The VLT photos revealed that NGC 3640 has eaten different galaxies over the previous a number of billion years and a smaller neighbor, often called NGC 3641, now lies inside its path. Positioned slightly below NGC 3640 within the latest picture, NGC 3641 could ultimately be the bigger galaxy’s subsequent meal.
“All through their extraordinarily lengthy lifetime, galaxies change. As they soar by way of house, they might steal gasoline and stars from different galaxies, and even engulf and merge with them,” ESO officers mentioned in a press release accompanying the brand new picture. “After these occasions, galaxies can turn out to be distorted, as exemplified by the misshaped NGC 3640 and the diffuse mild round it.”
As two galaxies method one another, their gravitational pulls turn out to be more and more sturdy, inflicting them to ultimately collide and merge right into a single, bigger galaxy. This, in flip, disrupts the unique buildings of each galaxies.
Fortunately, NGC 3641 should still have a while earlier than it’s consumed by its bigger neighbor. The latest VLT photos don’t present any indicators of NGC 3641 being distorted by the approaching galaxy, suggesting NGC 3640 is just not but shut sufficient to pose a menace.
Utilizing the brand new VLT photos, astronomers on the Italian Nationwide Institute for Astrophysics have been capable of parse out NGC 3640’s previous. A collision between two galaxies leaves “scars” on the surviving cosmic physique, which usually accommodates a few of the first stars created inside the unique galaxy.
Subsequently, these stars function “fossil markers” of the unique galaxy’s previous, which is how the staff decided NGC 3640 has beforehand engulfed different galaxies, based on the assertion.
Their findings have been revealed Nov. 5, 2024 within the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
