Galaxy NGC 7714 After Collision.

Is this galaxy jumping through a giant ring of stars? Probably not. Although the precise dynamics behind the featured image is yet unclear, what is clear is that the pictured galaxy, NGC 7714 , has been stretched and distorted by a recent collision with a neighboring galaxy. This smaller neighbor, NGC 7715 , situated off to the left of the featured frame, is thought to have charged right through NGC 7714 . Observations indicate that the golden ring pictured is composed of millions of older Sun-like stars that are likely co-moving with the interior bluer stars. In contrast, the bright center of NGC 7714 appears to be undergoing a burst of new star formation. NGC 7714 is located about 100 million light years away toward the constellation of the Fish ( Pisces ). The interactions between these galaxies likely started about 150 million years ago and should continue for several hundred million years more , after which a single central galaxy may result.

APOD Retrospective: Peculiar and Interacting Galaxies