PIA10385: Arp 148& - Mayall's Object
 Mission:  Hubble Space Telescope
 Instrument:  WFPC2
 Product Size:  1027 x 1027 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  Space Telescope Science Institute
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA10385.tif (3.169 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA10385.jpg (75.74 kB)

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

Click here for Poster Version of Galaxies Gone Wild PIA10385Click here for Hubble Interacting Galaxies Poster PIA10385
Galaxies Gone Wild!
Poster Version

Unannotated Poster Version
Hubble Interacting Galaxies Poster

Arp 148 is the staggering aftermath of an encounter between two galaxies, resulting in a ring-shaped galaxy and a long-tailed companion. The collision between the two parent galaxies produced a shockwave effect that first drew matter into the center and then caused it to propagate outwards in a ring. The elongated companion perpendicular to the ring suggests that Arp 148 is a unique snapshot of an ongoing collision. Infrared observations reveal a strong obscuration region that appears as a dark dust lane across the nucleus in optical light.

Arp 148 is nicknamed "Mayall's object" and is located in the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear, approximately 500 million light-years away. This interacting pair of galaxies is included in Arp's catalog of peculiar galaxies as number 148.

This image is part of a large collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008. It was taken by the telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, which was designed and built by JPL.

Image Credit:
NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University), K. Noll (STScI), and J. Westphal (Caltech)

Image Addition Date:
2008-04-24