A newly created image combining data from multiple telescopes, the spiral galaxy NGC 6872 shows in a stunning way. The largest known spiral galaxy in the universe, this galaxy is about five times the size of the Milky Way.
A joint European-American project has produced this stunning image of the giant galaxy NGC 6872. This image combines visible light images from Very large telescope European Southern Observatory, Ultraviolet Data Galaxy Evolution Probe NASA and infrared data Spitzer Space Telescope NASA has been acquired.
The galaxy NGC 6872 is located 212 million light-years away from Earth and is said to be elongated due to gravitational interactions with The disc-shaped galaxy IC4970 Is. IC4970, located near this galaxy, probably contains a fifth as much mass as its larger neighbor.
Image of the world’s largest spiral galaxy
These gravitational interactions often lead to galaxy mergers, but in this particular case, the analysis suggests we may have to wait for a new galaxy to form. Eli Dueck, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said of NGC 6872 in 2013: “Understanding the structure and dynamics of interacting systems like these galaxies that are clustered together takes us one step closer to understanding these events in the cosmic context.” Let’s fit them and pave the way to decipher what we find in younger and more distant systems.”
Scientists say that NGC 6872 is so big that 522 thousand years It takes time for light to travel from one end to the other. This spiral galaxy was first discovered in 1835 by John Herschel, an English astronomer. Now it remains to be seen when the James Webb Space Telescope will go to observe NGC 6872 and what new points it will provide to enthusiasts and scientists from its observations.
