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UGC 06471 and UGC 06472, a pair of colliding galaxies, are 145 million light-years away and 56,000 light-years across.

Collisions like this one occurred frequently in the early universe, making odd-shaped galaxies. Large amounts of dust, produced by massive stars that formed before or during this dramatic collision, reddens the starlight in many places, just like a dusty atmosphere reddens the sunset.

Studying the effects of this nearby collision could help astronomers explain the peculiar shapes seen in some of the distant galaxies.

Technical details on
UGC 06471 and UGC 06472

Object Type: Pair of merging galaxies
Position (J2000): R.A. 11h 28m 35.27s Dec. +58°33' 50.4"
Constellation: Ursa Major
Date Image Was Made: July 11, 2000

IMAGE SOURCE: NASA/STScI/Rogier Windhorst, ASU