But in a scientific way not a nasty political way. Have a look:
There are many things in this picture that are quite remarkable.
Both of these galaxies are spiral galaxies. You can see that clearly in the blue one at the bottom of the photo. The yellow one at top is as well, but you are looking at it edge on, with the main spiral being a cigar-shaped zone tilted just off the horizontal.
Perhaps these galaxies looked more similar to each other in the past, but they recently (a few hundred million years ago) ran into each other. When that happened, the yellow looking one on top in the photo was changed so that it started making stars at a very high rate. Star formation involves frequent and large bursts of energy, and this is reflected in the bright infrared WISE detects, converted here into a color you can see. What looks like myriad rays emanating from the galaxy in sufficient quantity to give it a glowing ball effect are, indeed, myriad rays emanating from the galaxy.
But wait, there’s more. Astronomers have calculated that these two galaxies will continue to interact, probably running into each other again, and eventually, merge into one galaxy.
Click here to read more about Messier 81 and Messier 82. I wonder what they’ll be called when they turn into one? Messier 163?
Have you read the breakthrough novel of the year? When you are done with that, try:
or Paperback
*Please note:
Links to books and other items on this page and elsewhere on Greg Ladens' blog may send you to Amazon, where I am a registered affiliate. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which helps to fund this site.
I always loved looking at these kind of photos. As a kid I dreamed of space travel and travelling to other galaxies. That would be cool.
These two particular galaxies are a favorite telescope pair for me. A relatively small scope – say 6″ refractor or 8″ SC – with a 75 power eyepiece (35mm wide-angle on my 8″) will show both galaxies in the same 1/2 degree field of view. A star party star view. I also like them because of the challenge finding them. Even in a dark sky location, and I am normally close by Seattle which is anything but, they are not naked eye objects, and finding them requires visual star hopping over a several degree span.
It’s amazing how our planet is so insignificant relevant to the universe as a whole.