Astronomy Picture of the Day
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.
2018 December 11
[2]
Arp 188 and the Tadpole's Tail
Image Credit: Hubble Legacy Archive [3] , ESA [4] , NASA [5] ; Processing:
Faus Márquez [6] (AAE [7] )
Explanation: Why does this galaxy have such a long tail [8] ? In this stunning
vista, based on image data from the Hubble Legacy Archive, distant galaxies
form a dramatic backdrop for disrupted spiral galaxy Arp [9] 188, the Tadpole
Galaxy. The cosmic tadpole is [10] a mere 420 million light-years distant
toward the northern constellation of the Dragon ( Draco [11] ). Its
eye-catching tail is about 280 thousand light-years [12] long and features
massive, bright blue star clusters. One story [13] goes that a more compact
intruder galaxy [14] crossed in front of Arp 188 - from right to left in this
view - and was slung around [15] behind the Tadpole by their gravitational
attraction. During the close encounter [16] , tidal forces drew out the spiral
galaxy's [17] stars, gas, and dust forming the spectacular tail. The intruder
[18] galaxy itself, estimated to lie about 300 thousand light-years behind
the Tadpole, can be seen through foreground spiral arms at the upper right.
Following [19] its terrestrial namesake [20] , the Tadpole Galaxy [21] will
likely lose its tail [22] as it grows older, the tail's star clusters forming
smaller satellites of the large spiral galaxy.
New: Instagram page features cool images recently submitted to APOD [23]
Tomorrow's picture: orion falls
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [35] (MTU [36] ) & Jerry Bonnell [37]
(UMCP [38] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [39] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [40]
A service of: ASD [41] at NASA [42] / GSFC [43]
& Michigan Tech. U. [44]
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Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1812/Arp188Tadpole_HubbleMarquez_1150.jpg
[3] http://hla.stsci.edu/
[4] http://www.esa.int/
[5] http://www.nasa.gov/
[6] mailto: faustim @at@ hotmail .dot. es
[7] http://www.aaeivissa.com/
[8]
https://d3pz1jifuab5zg.cloudfront.net/2017/01/18132448/
keon-longest-tail-main1.jpg
[9] http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Arp/frames.html
[10] http://hubblesite.org/image/1181/news_release/2002-11
[11] http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/
constellations/constellations/Draco.html
[12] https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html
[13] http://www.boop.org/jan/justso/
[14] http://mergers.galaxyzoo.org/
[15] ap150201.html
[16] ap120812.html
[17] ap120604.html
[18] ap970224.html
[19] http://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/
[20] http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/metindex.htm
[21] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadpole_Galaxy
[22] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1972ApJ...178..623T
[23] https://www.instagram.com/universe_view_screen/
[24] ap181210.html
[25] archivepix.html
[26] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[27] lib/aptree.html
[28] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[29] calendar/allyears.html
[30] /apod.rss
[31] lib/edlinks.html
[32] lib/about_apod.html
[33] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=181211
[34] ap181212.html
[35] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[36] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[37] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[38] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[39] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[40] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[41] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[42] https://www.nasa.gov/
[43] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[44] http://www.mtu.edu/
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