Explanation: Na Uhane Māhoe Fuki Pō I Ke Ora is the Hawaiian name given to this striking image of two spiral galaxies locked in a mutual gravitational embrace. Located approximately 200 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus, this spectacular galactic merger was captured in detail by the 8.1-meter Gemini North Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaiʻi. The interacting galaxies, known as NGC 7253 and Arp 278, were selected and studied by high school students participating in Project Hokulani, a joint internship program affiliated with the Gemini Observatory and the University of Hawaiʻi. The Hawaiian name means “twin souls working together to create life,” an especially fitting description of this cosmic collision. As the galaxies interact, their immense gravitational forces trigger waves of star formation using the elemental building blocks of life contained within their galactic reservoirs. These merging galaxies appear within Pegasus, a constellation recognized in Hawaiian celestial navigation as Ka Lupe O Kavero.
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Tomorrow’s photo: chasing the shadow
Source: science.nasa.gov