Merger?

Is this a merger? It looks like it's stretching.

Posted January 13, 2014 7:03 PM

by JeanTate in response to arneVDK's comment.

It's even more obviously disturbed in this SDSS image:

enter image description here

The spectrum - which the SDSS spectroscopic pipeline classifies, automatically, as STARFORMING - shows some strong emission lines and a continuum that looks very red (given how weak the H&K lines are). To this far-from-expert ordinary zooite, those are tell-tale signs of the late stage of a merger. If so, that answers your earlier question (in the comments); the 'other galaxy' has already been consumed (or maybe is just small and 'behind' the center)! 😮

Posted January 13, 2014 7:26 PM

by arneVDK

Thank you

Posted January 14, 2014 4:31 PM