Colliding Galaxy Duo | Space Wallpaper

By Space.com Staff
published

Arp 142 galaxy duo space wallpaper
What looks like a celestial hummingbird in this stunning space wallpaper is really the result of a collision between a spiral and an elliptical galaxy at a whopping 326 million light- years away. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA))

What looks like a celestial hummingbird in this stunning space wallpaper is really the result of a collision between a spiral and an elliptical galaxy at a whopping 326 million light- years away. The flat disk of the spiral NGC 2936 is warped into the profile of a bird by the gravitational tug of the companion NGC 2937. The object was first cataloged as a "peculiar galaxy" by Halton Arp in the 1960s. This interacting galaxy duo is collectively called Arp 142. This image was released June 20, 2013

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.