galactic merger – Astronomy Now

Astronomers catch a rare glimpse of two quasars in the process of colliding

6 April 2023 Astronomy Now

Using space- and ground-based telescopes, astronomers get a rare look at two quasars in the process of merging just 3 billion years after the Big Bang.

Hubble captures a trio of galaxies crashing together in a cosmic merger

23 February 2023 Astronomy Now

To better understand the origins of the most massive galaxies in the universe, astronomers are on the lookout for galactic mergers . The Hubble Space Telesacope captured a prime example with three galaxies in the process of colliding.

Hubble sheds light on the Sombrero galaxy’s surprising past

23 February 2020 Astronomy Now

Hubble Space Telescope observations of the Sombrero galaxy’s extended halo find surprising hints of turbulent mergers in the distant past.

A captivating view of the Heron Galaxy as a gravitational tug of war plays out

13 December 2019 Astronomy Now

Two interacting galaxies, distorted in an ongoing gravitational tug of war, present a captivating vista as observed by the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, taking on the shape of a graceful heron in the northern sky.

Record-setting ultra-massive black hole found at heart of galaxy cluster

5 December 2019 Astronomy Now

The central elliptical galaxy in a cluster 700 million light years away harbours a record-setting black hole with the mass of 40 billion Suns.

A galactic train wreck with three supermassive black holes

23 November 2019 Astronomy Now

A third supermassive black hole has been found near the heart of an ongoing collision of three massive galaxies 300 million light years from Earth.

ALMA spots merging galaxies in infant universe

18 June 2019 Astronomy Now

The ALMA radio telescope array has spotted what appears to be the merger of two galaxies in the infant universe, the earliest such encounter yet observed.

The Sun expected to ride out a looming galactic merger

4 January 2019 Astronomy Now

A collision between the Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud in about 1.5 billion years likely will re-energize the supermassive black hole lurking in our galaxy’s core.

Large Magellanic Cloud may be result of past galactic merger

18 September 2018 Astronomy Now

Computer simulations indicated the Large Cloud of Magellan may have merged with another luminous galaxy three to five billion years ago, a scenario that explains unusual stellar motions and ages.

Milky Way no longer ‘little brother’ to Andromeda

15 February 2018 Astronomy Now

Studies of fast-moving stars in the Andromeda galaxy indicate the huge spiral is less massive than previously believed and more a twin of the Milky Way than a big brother.