                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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.

                               2024 February 7
    Two galaxies are seen colliding the image center. Together, they look
        like a classic heart icon but with long tails. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                     The Heart Shaped Antennae Galaxies
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Kent E. Biggs

   Explanation: Are these two galaxies really attracted to each other?
   Yes, gravitationally, and the result appears as an enormous iconic
   heart -- at least for now. Pictured is the pair of galaxies cataloged
   as NGC 4038 and NGC 4039,known as the Antennae Galaxies. Because they
   are only 60 million light years away, close by intergalactic standards,
   the pair is one of the best studied interacting galaxies on the night
   sky. Their strong attraction began about a billion years ago when they
   passed unusually close to each other. As the two galaxies interact,
   their stars rarely collide, but new stars are formed when their
   interstellar gases crash together. Some new stars have already formed,
   for example, in the long antennae seen extending out from the sides of
   the dancing duo. By the time the galaxy merger is complete, likely over
   a billion years from now, billions of new stars may have formed.

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