Part red and part blue galaxy

• by jack42494

  Why is this galaxy two different colors split almost down the middle? Could it have been two galaxies that merged? Would that also explain it's uneven shape?

  Posted January 17, 2014 8:25 PM

• by JeanTate in response to jack42494's comment.

  Another very cool object! It's a very strong UV emitter, and an x-ray source. Interestingly, the source of that short wavelength radiation is not - as you might otherwise guess - an AGN; rather it's intense star-formation, as shown by the purple in the SDSS image:

  

  I don't know to what extent the 'color separation' in the UKIDSS image is an artifact vs something in the galaxy itself (perhaps the red is a band of dust?).

  Maybe a SCIENTIST could comment?

  Posted January 17, 2014 9:37 PM