UGC 4881
UGC 4881, known as the "The Grasshopper", is a stunning system consisting of two colliding galaxies. It has a bright curly tail containing a remarkable number of star clusters. The galaxies are thought to be halfway through a merger - the cores of the parent galaxies are still clearly separated, but their discs are overlapping. A supernova exploded in this system in 1999 and astronomers believe that a vigorous burst of star formation may have just started. This notable object is located in the constellation of Lynx, some 500 million light-years away from Earth. UGC 4881 is the 55th galaxy in Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.
This image is part of a large collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.
NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
About the Image
| Id: | heic0810bq |
|---|---|
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 24 April 2008, 15:00 |
| Related releases: | heic0810 |
| Size: | 3314 x 3314 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Arp 55, UGC 4881, VV 155 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting |
| Distance: | 500 million light years |
| Constellation: | Lynx |
| Category: | Anniversary Galaxies |
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 9 15 55.57 |
|---|---|
| Position (Dec): | 44° 19' 59.07" |
| Field of view: | 2.78 x 2.78 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 89.1° left of vertical |
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical B | 435 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Optical Pseudogreen (B+I) |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS | |
| Infrared I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |