Space & Astronomy

NASA publishes 'Penguin and Egg' image of merging galaxies

By T.K. Randall
July 16, 2024 ·  6 comments

The Penguin and Egg galaxies. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI Captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, this remarkable image was recently published by NASA to commemorate the orbital platform's second anniversary.

It shows two galaxies known as the Penguin (NGC 2936) and the Egg (NGC 2937) locked in what NASA describes as a "slow cosmic dance" that began some 25 million years ago.

Originally, the Pengiun galaxy was spiral-shaped like our own, but now it is distorted out of shape with its galactic center serving as the bright, shining 'eye'.Remarkably, despite appearances, both galaxies are around 100,000 light-years apart.

"In just two years, Webb has transformed our view of the universe, enabling the kind of world-class science that drove NASA to make this mission a reality," said Mark Clampin, Astrophysics Division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

"Webb is providing insights into longstanding mysteries about the early universe and ushering in a new era of studying distant worlds, while returning images that inspire people around the world and posing exciting new questions to answer."

"It has never been more possible to explore every facet of the universe."

Source: NASA.gov | Comments (6)

Tags: Galaxy, Penguin