Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2025 December 11
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                            Galaxies in the River
                Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Vikas Chander

   Explanation: Large galaxies grow by eating small ones. [5]Even our own
   galaxy engages in a sort of galactic [6]cannibalism, absorbing small
   galaxies that are too close and are [7]captured by the Milky Way's
   gravity. In fact, the [8]practice is common in the universe and
   illustrated by this striking pair of interacting galaxies from the
   banks of the southern constellation [9]Eridanus, [10]The River. Located
   over 50 million light years away, the large, distorted spiral NGC 1532
   is seen locked in a gravitational struggle with dwarf galaxy NGC 1531,
   a struggle the smaller galaxy [11]will eventually lose. Seen nearly
   edge-on, [12]in this sharp image spiral NGC 1532 spans about 100,000
   light-years. The NGC 1532/1531 pair is thought to be similar to the
   well-studied system of face-on spiral and small companion [13]known as
   M51.

                        Tomorrow's picture: fox fires
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    Authors & editors: [25]Robert Nemiroff ([26]MTU) & [27]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([28]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [29]Specific rights apply.
            [30]NASA Web Privacy, [31]Accessibility, [32]Notices;
                A service of: [33]ASD at [34]NASA / [35]GSFC,
                         [36]NASA Science Activation
                           & [37]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2512/NGC1532.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.instagram.com/vikaschanderastrophotography/
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050529.html
   6. http://www.cosmotography.com/images/galaxy_cannibalism.html
   7. http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0407566
   8. https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2017/hubble-catches-a-galaxy-duo-by-the-hare
   9. http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/eri/index.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160102.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080619.html
  12. https://app.astrobin.com/u/vikaschander@rolexhosiery.com?i=n268cv#gallery
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220902.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251210.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  18. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  20. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  23. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251211
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251212.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  28. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  33. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  36. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  37. http://www.mtu.edu/