Telescope views cosmic events with unprecedented detail
Shown up top is a composite image of the Antennae Galaxies, the youngest and nearest colliding galaxy pair we’ve ever observed. The image comprises views of the galaxies taken with two different types of telescopes, combining data from ALMA (depicted in orange and red) with visible-light observations from the Hubble Space Telescope.
The collision of the galaxies has turned them into what astronomer Brad Whitmore describes as “an impressive star-making factory.” Whitmore leads a team of astronomers that is using ALMA to study star formation within the galactic collision.
Image via ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
