The haunting image of the spiral galaxies IC 2163 and NGC 2207, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Hubble Space Telescope, has been making waves in the scientific community. These galaxies, located 80 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major, appear to have bright-red “blood-soaked” eyes, giving them an eerie and captivating look.
The composite image reveals that these galaxies are currently colliding, as they had a close encounter millions of years ago. The smaller spiral galaxy, IC 2163, crept behind the larger spiral galaxy, NGC 2207, leading to the development of tiny tail-like extensions in their spiral arms. The galaxies’ materials may have also collided during this graze, resulting in thick and bulging arms highlighted in bright red, resembling eyelids.
Both IC 2163 and NGC 2207 are prolific star factories, producing nearly two dozen new sunlike stars each year, a stark comparison to the Milky Way’s production of only two or three new sunlike stars annually. Additionally, these galaxies have hosted seven known supernovas in recent decades, fueling new star formation by clearing out space in the spiral arms.
The detailed image, combining mid-infrared observations from JWST with ultraviolet and visible-light observations from Hubble, showcases star-forming regions in bright blue and pink and white, representing super star clusters and mini-starbursts, respectively.
As these galaxies continue their cosmic dance over millions of years, their orbits will become tighter, eventually merging into a single galaxy with reshaped arms and a single brighter core. This transformation will take place over the next billion years, resulting in a striking cosmic evolution.
For more fascinating space images and updates, be sure to explore our Space Photo of the Week archives. And stay tuned for further insights and discoveries in the realm of astronomy and astrophysics.
