IC 2163 and NGC 2207 are two galaxies about 114 million light years from Earth. So it is difficult to observe the dance they are engaged in from the blue planet. This is where not one but two space telescopes operate, the venerable Hubble (already an expert on galactic collisions) and the more recent James Webb, JWST for short. Thanks to their respective observing instruments, NASA in the United States and the European ESA were able to create a unique picture of the beginning of the collision of these two galaxies.
A pair of legends to witness an inspiring couple
Already observed for two centuries after its discovery in 1835 by the British astronomer John Herschel, the event, far away in the constellation Canis Major, has never been so well observed. The latest image effectively combines the near- and mid-infrared (thanks to James-Webb), the visible spectrum and the ultraviolet (Hubble’s hunting ground). This combination makes it possible to better observe the stars, whether very recent, well-established or in the process of formation, within the two galaxies.
IC 2163 and NGC 2207: We give free rein to your pareidolia… © NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
NGC 2207, the larger of the two, spans 143,000 light-years, while IC 2163 mimics our Milky Way at 101,000 light-years. Both of these galaxies are currently producing new stars at five to ten times the rate of the Milky Way. In the images from the two telescopes, the red lines are likely collision zones where elements of the two bodies collided.
This gravitational interaction is far from over, as it will take several million years for NGC 2207 and IC 2163 to merge into a single – and massive – elliptical galaxy.
