Large galaxies absorb small | ||||
Galactic Cannibalism | Automatic translation | Updated June 01, 2013 | ||
Large galaxies grow by attracting small galaxies as they pass nearby. The Milky Way, our own galaxy practice this kind of galactic cannibalism, absorbing smaller galaxies captured by the gravitational force of the Milky Way. In fact, this practice is common throughout the universe. The images below illustrate the practice against gravity. This beautiful pair of interacting galaxies is in the constellation Eridanus (the river). It is located at more than 50 million light-years away and spans 100,000 light years. | Image: The galaxy NGC 1532 NGC 1532/1531 which devours the small NGC 1531. | Image: The Whirlpool galaxy NGC 5194 of 60 000 light years in diameter is also known as the M51. It absorbs NGC 5195, his companion on the right. Image Hubble. |