Jan 26, 2011 09:17 GMT  ·  By
The green shock wave at the center of this image is more massive than the Milky Way
   The green shock wave at the center of this image is more massive than the Milky Way

Recent scientific observations of a known galaxy clusters have imaged a massive shock wave structure, that is apparently a lot more massive than our entire galaxy. Data from several telescopes were stitched together to form the new view.

The false-color composite image thus obtained portrays the Stephan's Quintet galaxy cluster in never-before-seen details. It shows a shock wave, imaged here in green, that extends between components of the cluster, covering a huge distance.

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is not exactly what you would call small. In fact, it is one of the most massive galaxies in the Universe. At an age estimated to be 10 billion years, and a diameter exceeding 100,000 light-years, the structure is not dwarfed by many other space objects.

However, it would appear that the shock wave in Stephan's Quintet exceeds that size. The structure, which most likely originates in a galactic merger taking place at the core of the cluster, extends for more hundreds of thousands of light-years, producing interesting effects in its surroundings.

As the formation extends between galaxies, it drastically affects the intergalactic medium, which is made up mostly of cosmic dust, as well as small amounts of hydrogen gas and other chemicals.

This medium is heated to temperatures exceeding millions of degrees, and this makes it emit radiation in the X-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The radiation are so intense that they can easily be detected using the NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory.

The Spitzer Space Telescope, also operated by the American space agency, can see the cluster in infrared wavelengths, whereas a ground-based telescope in Spain was used to make out other details.

'The Calar Alto Observatory produced the near-infrared light (blue) and visible light called H-alpha (green) portions of the image, whereas Spitzer snapped the 8-micron infrared light (red).

Astrophysicists believe that the two galaxies producing the shock wave are colliding with each other at speeds exceeding over a million miles per hour, hence the intensity of the effects they are producing.

Stephan’s Quintet, which is located 300 million light-years away, in the Pegasus constellation, is also known as the Hickson Compact Group 92. The name, however, is a bit of a misnomer, Daily Galaxy reports.

Studies have shown that group member NGC 7320, at upper left, is actually a foreground galaxy about seven times closer to Earth than the rest of the group.

Three of the galaxies have distorted shapes, elongated spiral arms, and long, gaseous tidal Tails containing myriad star clusters, proof of their close encounters.

These interactions have sparked a frenzy of star birth in the central pair of galaxies. This drama is being played out against a rich backdrop of faraway galaxies.