The galaxies, dubbed NGC 2207 and IC2163, are located at a distance of about 130 million light-years from our planet

Dec 13, 2014 08:17 GMT  ·  By

Earlier this week, scientists with NASA released a positively stunning space image obtained with the help of the Chandra space telescope. The image, included in the gallery below, shows two merging spiral galaxies.

Interestingly enough, this one space image was put together by combining data provided by the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Spitzer Space Telescope.

The X-ray light documented by Chandra is shown in pink, optical data provided by the Hubble Space Telescope is represented by the colors blue, white, orange and brown, and red stands for the infrared light studied by Spitzer.

The image pretty much reveals the anatomy of these two distant spiral galaxies that are now in the process of merging with one another. Images in the X-ray, the infrared and the visible spectrum alone were also released and are available below.

So, what's the deal with these shinny distant galaxies?

In a statement, astronomers with NASA explain that these two spiral galaxies go by the name of NGC 2207 and IC 2163. The cosmic systems are estimated to be located at a distance of 130 million light-years from our planet, in the constellation Canis Major.

In case anyone was wondering just how big these galaxies are, it turns out that presently they measure about 180,000 light-years across. However, there is no doubt that, as they continue to merge, their shape and size will be altered.

It is understood that star formation processes are now chiefly taking place in the galaxies' arms. Researchers say that, as far as they can tell, the regions that are birthing stars like craze are also producing the most X-rays emissions.

There's a lot of commotion going on in these cosmic systems

Evidence at hand indicates that, over the past 15 years, at least three stars went kaboom in the midst of these spiral galaxies. The events, known to astronomers as supernova explosions, marked the end of these stars' life and produced an mind-blowing light show.

Besides, it appears that these two merging spiral galaxies are home to an impressive number of so-called ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). Scientists say that ULXs are kind of like X-ray binaries which comprise a star orbiting a neutron star or a black hole, but more luminous.

Since they first started studying these systems, astronomers have managed to detect 28 ultraluminous X-ray sources. They have also found evidence of stars that are merely 10 million years old. Just to put things into perspective, it must be said that our Sun has been around for about 4.6 billion years.

NASA image shows distant merging galaxies (5 Images)

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