Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2024 February 7
     [2]Two galaxies are seen colliding the image center. Together, they
     look like a classic heart icon but with long tails. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                     The Heart Shaped Antennae Galaxies
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Kent E. Biggs

   Explanation: Are these two galaxies really attracted to each other?
   Yes, [4]gravitationally, and the result appears as an [5]enormous
   [6]iconic heart -- at least for now. [7]Pictured is the pair of
   galaxies cataloged as [8]NGC 4038 and NGC 4039,known as the [9]Antennae
   Galaxies. Because they are only 60 million [10]light years away, close
   by [11]intergalactic standards, the pair is one of the best studied
   [12]interacting galaxies on the night sky. Their [13]strong attraction
   began about a billion years ago when they passed unusually close to
   each other. As the two [14]galaxies interact, their [15]stars rarely
   collide, but new stars are formed when their interstellar gases crash
   together. Some new stars have already formed, for example, in the
   [16]long antennae seen extending out from the sides of the dancing duo.
   By the time the [17]galaxy merger is complete, likely over a
   [18]billion years from now, billions of new stars may have formed.

    Open Science: [19]Browse 3,300+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code
                                   Library
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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    Authors & editors: [31]Robert Nemiroff ([32]MTU) & [33]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([34]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn; [35]Specific rights apply.
              [36]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC,
                         [40]NASA Science Activation
                           & [41]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2402/Antennae_Biggs_3840.jpg
   3. https://www.kentbiggs.com/about.htm
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220214.html
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_symbol
   7. https://www.kentbiggs.com/images/galaxies/N4038.htm
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180523.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220331.html
  10. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130408.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191120.html
  13. https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/travelling-cuddling-stray-cats-istanbul-orin-fb12-png__700.jpg
  14. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/galaxies/
  15. https://esahubble.org/wordbank/star/
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antenna_(biology)#/media/File:Rosalia_alpina_side.JPG
  17. http://astronomyonline.org/Cosmology/GalaxyMergers.asp
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_far_future
  19. https://ascl.net/code/all
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240206.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  26. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  29. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240207
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240208.html
  31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  34. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  40. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  41. http://www.mtu.edu/