BLACK DOG OBSERVATORY

NGC4038 & NGC4039 RingTailed-Antennae Galaxy

Known by various names, Ringtailed, Antennae and Rat-tailed Galaxy, this pair of galaxies are the nearest and youngest galaxies colliding with each other. The collision started about 100 million years ago and is still in progress - infant Globular Clusters are being formed as a result. The cores of the twin galaxies are the orange 'blobs' visible in this image. They are around 63 million light years away.