Encuentros galácticos (no en la tercera fase)
Esta imagen de la semana muestra a NGC 3640, una inusual galaxia elíptica que se encuentra a 88 millones de años luz de distancia. La imagen, tomada con el Telescopio de Rastreo del VLT, instalado en el Observatorio Paranal de ESO, revela una colección de galaxias de todas las formas y tamaños, que van desde ligeras manchas azules hasta la forma de huevo frito de NGC 3640. Pero en medio de este colorido vecindario cósmico hay algo que destaca: este huevo tiene una doble yema, una galaxia más pequeña que podría estar demasiado cerca.
A lo largo de su larguísima vida, las galaxias cambian. A medida que se mueven por el espacio, pueden robar gas y estrellas de otras galaxias, o incluso engullirlas y fusionarse con ellas. Tras estos eventos, las galaxias pueden distorsionarse, como le ocurrió a la deformada NGC 3640 y la luz difusa de su alrededor. A la galaxia le quedan "cicatrices" que desvelan un pasado violento, algo que la comunidad astronómica puede utilizar para conocer su historia pasada y presente.
Para trazar la historia de esta galaxia y su compañera más pequeña, un equipo de astrónomos y astrónomas del Instituto Nacional Italiano de Astrofísica utilizó el VST para analizar sus cúmulos globulares, conjuntos esféricos y compactos de estrellas unidas por la gravedad. Por lo general, contienen algunas de las primeras estrellas creadas dentro de una galaxia y, por lo tanto, pueden actuar como marcadores fósiles, revelando la historia de la galaxia, incluso después de eventos de fusión.
Los resultados confirman que NGC 3640 ha engullido otras galaxias antes, una terrible señal para NGC 3641, la galaxia de menor tamaño que ahora se encuentra en su camino. Sin embargo, esta pequeña perdedora galáctica muestra una clara falta de distorsiones en su forma o en los cúmulos globulares que contiene. Esto sugiere que su interacción, aunque rápida, no está ocurriendo lo suficientemente cerca como para que NGC 3640 represente una amenaza. NGC 3641 podría estar a salvo... por ahora.
Enlaces
- Vista de amplio campo de este grupo de galaxias
- Artículo de Mirabile et al. en Astronomy & Astrophysics
- Artículo de Ragusa et al. en Astronomy & Astrophysics
- Comunicado de prensa del Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica de Italia
ESO/INAF/M. Mirabile et al./R. Ragusa et al.
Sobre la imagen
| Identificador: | potw2507a |
| Idioma: | es |
| Tipo: | Observación |
| Fecha de publicación: | 17 de Febrero de 2025 a las 06:00 |
| Tamaño: | 3249 x 3249 px |
Sobre el objeto
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