Public Wants Hubble to Study Hugging Galaxies

by Nancy Atkinson on March 2, 2009

The winner: Arp 274. Credit: NASA

The winner: Arp 274. Credit: NASA


NASA asked the public to vote on where they want the Hubble Space Telescope to be pointed in the “Hubble, You Decide” contest. Nearly 140,000 votes were cast online to help decide. And the winner is: a pair of interacting galaxies that look like they are hugging. Called Arp 274 (from the Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies) these two galaxies won over five other celestial candidates. The Hubble observations will be taken during the International Year of Astronomy’s “100 Hours of Astronomy,” taking place April 2 – 5. The full-color galaxy image will be released publicly during that time.

Drawn together by their gravity, the two galaxies are starting to interact. The spiral shapes of these galaxies are mostly intact, but evidence can be seen of the gravitational distortions they are creating within each other. When galaxies interact and merge together, the gas clouds inside them often form tremendous numbers of new stars.

According to NASA: “The new picture of Arp 274 promises to reveal intriguing never-before-seen details in the galactic grand slam.”

We’ll be sure to post the image when it is released.

Source: Hubblesite


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  • http://oilismastery.blogspot.com/ OilIsMastery

    Are you disputing their validity?

  • ND

    I can’t just consider their validity based on what you post. I need the original source of information. I’d appreciate it if you posted the source.

    I’ll also search up information on Arp 274 myself when I get home later tonight.

  • Astrofiend

    “# OilIsMastery Says:
    March 4th, 2009 at 11:58 am

    “I suggest you actually read Issac Newton’s Principia so you comment intelligently on the theory of gravitation.”

    Oh, that’s gold coming from you Oils. Here’s the man who, in a previous post on the subject about a month ago, had no less than about 5 howling misconceptions about gravity in pretty much as many sentences.

    And you’re quoting Leibnitz as some sort of ‘proof’ against the modern theory of gravity? As in Leibnitz from the 1700′s? Good one mate. I may as well dispute the heliocentric model of the solar system by quoting the Old Testament:

    “He has fixed the earth firm, immovable.” (1 Chronicles 16:30)”

    There, proof enough eh Oils?

    Feel free not to quote a more modern ‘scientist’ in reply.

  • http://oilismastery.blogspot.com/ OilIsMastery

    Astrofiend,

    You’re the one who believes in a 17th century creationist theory called gravitation.

    “…lest the systems of the fixed stars should, by their gravity, fall on each other, he [God] hath placed those systems at immense distances from one another.” — Isaac Newton, mathematician, 1687

  • http://www.starsurfin.com Sakib

    I knew Arp 274 was going to be the “winner”, I voted for this one! I love Arps and Hubble is perfect for imaging them. It would sweet if it could image Arp 273, Arp 295 or NGC 7714 or NGC 2623.

  • Bojan

    @ OilsMastery

    Conveniently I’m studying for exams, involving gravitation and physics, but down have time to read a whole book.

    Could you give me a quick rundown of the alternate theory you have?

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