Galaxy Zoo Talk

Is this a merging galaxy?

  • kalspaugh by kalspaugh

    Is this two galaxies merging or is the lower one a star?

    Posted

  • Budgieye by Budgieye moderator

    The big one is closer to us than it is to the one below. So not a merger, but a possible useful overlap.

    z 0.072 0.00002 Well, the bigger galaxy has an exact redshift in SkyServer.

    z 0.20 zErr 0.02 The little galaxy has an estimated redshift, and is much much further away. It is more orange in Skyserver

    Using this handy calculator

    http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=redshift+z%3D3&a=FSelect_**LookbackTimeFromRedshift--

    The distance away

    950 million light-years for the closer one.

    2420 million light-years for the more distant one.

    So the big one is closer to us than it is to the one below.

    Posted