Arp 256 is a terrific system of two spiral galaxies distant by 350 million light years. Reside at an early stage of merger. Photo taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, showing highly distorted galactic shapes resembling fireworks.
Do not perceive galaxies as static stellar territories. In fact, they are dynamic and change all the time in their movement through the universal darkness. Sometimes the Hubble Space Telescope manages to capture great reviews, as is the case with the Arp 256.
At a distance of 350 million light years in China, there are two spiral galaxies with bridges that have begun to merge. The picture shows one moment, reflecting the explosion of gas and dust created by gravitational forces.
The nuclei are still separated by vast distances, but the forms are already distorted. The galaxy in the upper part contains pronounced tidal tails. Also visible are bright areas of star nurseries with red-hot newborn stars. Arp 256 in 1966 registered Halton Arp as one of the 338 galaxies in its catalog. The purpose of this catalog is to display as many different galactic forms as possible in order to capture the stages of galaxy evolution.
Many galaxies in this catalog are represented by a dwarf variety. They are characterized by fuzzy structures. Or is it active galaxies, releasing powerful jets. There are also contact representatives, such as Messier 51, Antenna Galaxy and Arp 256.
When the universe was smaller, similar merger processes occurred much more often. The galaxies in Arp 256 will continue to converge over the next million years. To get the image, used a wide-angle camera 3 Hubble.
