- In a supposedly EXPANDING universe still rushing outward from the Big Bang, one would think that the vast reaches of space are an unlikely place for "fender-benders." Yet the word "collision" is extremely common in scientific press releases these days, as astronomers grasp for explanations of galactic events in faraway places. It is gaseous collisions that generate the X-rays, radio waves, and synchrotron radiation detected throughout the cosmos, they tell us.
- The picture above shows the galaxies NGC 2207 and IC 2163 in the constellation Canis Major in what astronomers are calling a "cosmic smash up." The structure's unique appearance has led investigators to dub it "The Galactic Mask." They say the mask's "eyes" are the galactic cores, and its "feathers" are the galaxies' star-filled spiral arms.
No comments:
Post a Comment