PIA10391: Interacting Galaxies
 Mission:  Hubble Space Telescope
 Instrument:  WFPC2
 Product Size:  2371 x 2371 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  Space Telescope Science Institute
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA10391.tif (16.88 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA10391.jpg (634.2 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

This beautiful pair of interacting galaxies consists of NGC 5754, the large spiral on the right, and NGC 5752, the smaller companion in the bottom left corner of the image. NGC 5754's internal structure has hardly been disturbed by the interaction. The outer structure does exhibit tidal features, as does the symmetry of the inner spiral pattern and the kinked arms just beyond its inner ring. In contrast, NGC 5752 has undergone a starburst episode, with a rich population of massive and luminous star clusters clumping around the core and intertwined with intricate dust lanes. The contrasting reactions of the two galaxies to their interaction are due to their differing masses and sizes. NGC 5754 is located in the constellation Boötes, the Herdsman, some 200 million light-years away.

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, and W. Keel (University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa)

Image Addition Date:
2008-04-24