Galactic Mega-Merger: Hubble Captures Image Of Galactic Merge

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured the image of a galactic mega-merger. The image was identified as NGC 3597, where it revealed the end product of a collision between two normal-sized galaxies, which gradually evolved into a giant elliptical galaxy, according to a news release. NGC 3597 is about 150 million light-years away and is found in the constellation of Crater (The Cup).

These types of galaxies became more common as the universe began to evolve billions of years ago, where small galaxies were merging and therefore creating massive galactic bodies over a period.

Astronomers have a better understanding on how elliptical galaxies form by studying galactic mega-mergers like NGC 3597. This also enables astronomers to locate new findings on how ellipticals began their lives earlier in the history during the begging of the universe. Astronomers often refer to older ellipticals as "red and dead," since these types of bloated galaxies no longer produces new, bluer, stars in ages, and they are filled with numerous old, red stellar populations.

Many newly formed elliptical galaxies, such as NGC 3597 experience their last phases of youth before becoming "red and dead." Merging galaxies tend to combine their gas and dust, which initiates the birth of new stars. Various amounts of these materials end up in dense pockets known as proto-globular clusters. NGC 3597 is surrounded by dozens of these proto-globular clusters, which eventually collapse and form fully-fledged globular clusters, which orbits the centers of galaxies that are filled with millions of stars.

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