00:00ARP-107 is located 465 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo Minor.
00:07This image captures a scene that stretches approximately 400,000 light-years across.
00:14The spiral galaxy is about six times more massive than its elliptical companion.
00:19In ARP-107, two galaxies are caught in the early stages of a merger.
00:24On the left, a smaller elliptical galaxy contrasts with the larger spiral galaxy on the right.
00:31Their interaction stems from an off-center collision,
00:34where the smaller galaxy collided with the spiral from the side several hundred million years ago.
00:41These two bright regions host ongoing star formation.
00:45Galaxy collisions can trigger the formation of new stars when interstellar gases get compressed.
00:51The spiral galaxy in ARP-107 has an exceptionally bright core.
00:57This brightness is caused in part by the supermassive black hole at its center,
01:02which consumes surrounding material like gas and dust.
01:06As this material falls inward, it heats up and emits a tremendous amount of energy,
01:12making the galaxy's core shine brilliantly.
01:15In longer wavelengths, we can observe this bright point source,
01:19a clear indication of the black hole's activity as it accretes material.
01:24A tenuous bridge stretches between the two galaxies,
01:27composed of a mix of stars and gas, a result of their interaction.
01:32This stream of material was pulled from both galaxies as they interacted,
01:37creating a visible link that underscores the intensity of their encounter.
01:41This new image from the Webb Space Telescope combines near-infrared and mid-infrared light,
01:47but each wavelength was also captured separately.
01:51The mid-infrared view highlights the spiral galaxy's bright nucleus,
01:56while the bridge of material connecting the galaxies disappears in the mid-infrared,
02:01demonstrating how each wavelength offers unique insights into the structure of ARP-107.
02:07ARP-107 is compelling because it showcases the dramatic effects of galactic interaction,
02:14with a distorted spiral galaxy connected by a bridge of material to another galaxy,
02:19providing insights into the processes that drive galaxy evolution.
02:24But what is it that astronomers love most about this image?
02:29It looks like a smiley face!
Comments