Galaxy Zoo Talk

One galaxy, two cores!

  • stuart_thomas by stuart_thomas

    Where are the tails? Where are the streams of ejected stars? Two galactic cores of this size merging should produce gravitational waves and form structure, should they not? The cores themselves don't even appear to be deforming (this could be the viewing angle).

    Is it possible this galaxy formed as a binary? Two singularities in the same cluster? Even so the cores must have had enough angular momentum to stay apart long enough for stars to form. There is nothing in the centre to suggest anything massive enough for them both to be orbiting. What is going on?

    Posted