Ivan Eder, from Hungary, took this wonderful shot of M81 and M82 galaxies - twelve million light years from Earth. Most of the emission at infrared wavelengths originates from interstellar dust. This dust is found primarily within the galaxys spiral arms..Explanation: In this stunning cosmic vista, galaxy M81 is on the left surrounded by blue spiral arms. On the right marked by massive gas and dust clouds, is M82. These two mammoth galaxies have been locked in gravitational combat for the past billion years. The gravity from each galaxy dramatically affects the other during each hundred million-year pass. Last go-round, M82s gravity likely raised density waves rippling around M81, resulting in the richness of M81s spiral arms. But M81 left M82 with violent star forming regions and colliding gas clouds so energetic the galaxy glows in X-rays. In a few billion years only one galaxy will remain.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 05:42:28 +0000
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