NGC4038 · Antennae Galaxies
| Chinese name | 触须星系 |
|---|---|
| Type | Galaxy |
| Constellation | Crv |
| RA | 12h02m |
| Dec | −19° |
| Apparent magnitude | 10.5ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Both hemispheres |
| Best season | Spring |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Focal length | 长焦 1500mm+ |
About
The Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/4039, Caldwell 60/61) lie about 45 million light-years away in Corvus and are a pair of violently merging galaxies, the classic showcase for studying galactic collisions. The two once-separate spirals passed through each other roughly 600 million years ago, and the violent encounter compressed gas clouds to ignite a burst of star formation, spawning many bright blue super star clusters. Tidal forces have flung stars beyond the galaxies into two long stellar "antennae," giving the pair its name. Hubble imagery clearly shows the colliding cores and numerous newborn clusters. Long-focal deep exposures capture both the central collision zone and the extended antennae, conveying real dynamism.