Very Intriguing Merger

• by RenDawg

  There are a lot of different components going on with this merger. What is your guys take on this?

  Posted December 14, 2015 11:53 PM

• by ElisabethB moderator

  It's a simulated galaxy from the Illustris dataset. More info here : http://blog.galaxyzoo.org/2015/09/21/new-images-for-galaxy-zoo-part-2-illustris/

  Not sure I'd go for merger though. It's just one galaxy.
  
  The blue smudges are star forming areas in the galaxy. But I have no idea what the white spots are supposed to be.
  
  I'll ask around.

  Posted December 15, 2015 10:27 AM

• by KWillett scientist, admin, translator

  In a set of unusual merger morphologies and rings, this is one of the oddest. Nice spot, @RenDawg.

  I'm going to look and see if we can see the history of this galaxy.

  Posted December 15, 2015 5:57 PM

• by KWillett scientist, admin, translator

  Hm - they don't have pre-made simulated images (like the ones we show in GZ) for any earlier times, unfortunately. The merger tree history doesn't look terribly odd - no major mergers in its recent history, but lots of minor ones.

  

  One interesting thing that the Illustris explorer shows is the difference between the simulated emission of light using two different stellar population codes. In BC03 (which we use in the Galaxy Zoo images), all five white components are clearly visible. Using the alternate Starburst99 model, it's more of a ring galaxy with only a single bright clump to the left of the galaxy visible.

  

  Posted December 15, 2015 6:37 PM

• by ElisabethB moderator

  So, the bright white spots could also signify very (very) active star forming regions ?

  Posted December 15, 2015 8:35 PM

• by Budgieye moderator

  Oooh, the history chart looks interesting, I've never seen one before.

  Posted December 16, 2015 6:14 AM

• by Dolorous_Edd

  Looks similar

  http://talk.galaxyzoo.org/#/subjects/AGZ0008ahj

  

  Posted December 17, 2015 7:05 AM

• by Peter_Dzwig

  I presume this is the first one that has been reported like this. So have objects like this only been seen with the introduction of new simulations?

  Apologies if I am asking obvious questions. I am just trying to get up to speed, having been a bid side-lined recently 😉

  Peter

  Posted December 18, 2015 9:29 AM

• by ElisabethB moderator

  And another one (sort of )

  http://talk.galaxyzoo.org/?_ga=1.62373541.843820593.1448100173#/subjects/AGZ0008ajm

  Posted December 19, 2015 1:45 AM

• by Dolorous_Edd

  Again, looks similiar

  

  http://talk.galaxyzoo.org/#/subjects/AGZ0008aik

  Posted January 5, 2016 9:13 AM

• by Groovity

  Another one maybe:

  

  Posted January 13, 2016 8:50 AM

• by Dolorous_Edd in response to Groovity's comment.

  For reference

  http://talk.galaxyzoo.org/#/subjects/AGZ0008a70

  Posted January 13, 2016 9:54 AM