Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Lynx (Lyn)  ·  Contains:  NGC 2444  ·  NGC 2445
Arp 143, Gary Imm
Arp 143, Gary Imm

Arp 143

Arp 143, Gary Imm
Arp 143, Gary Imm

Arp 143

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Description

This object is a pair of small interacting spiral galaxies located 180 million light years away in the constellation of Lynx. Both galaxies are about 75,000 light years in diameter and are less than 1 minute in apparent diameter.  Both galaxies have significantly disturbed structures.

The top yellow galaxy is NGC 2444. This galaxy is described as an elliptical galaxy in a paper.  Its looping star stream forms an almost continuous ring.

The strangely shaped bottom blue galaxy, NGC 2445, looks like it originally was a spiral galaxy. The galaxy has a bright yellow core which is centered in a small disk-like white inner region.   Surrounding this region are five bright blue star forming regions which are roughly equally spaced around the nucleus. The contrast between the yellow core and the blue outer regions is appealing to me.

I don't believe I have ever since another galaxy with this type of triangular, pyramid-like shape. The blue star forming regions are incredibly intense in color and must reflect a tremendous amount of new star activity.

The pretty white grand spiral galaxy to the top right is PGC 21754.  It is about the same distance away as Arp 143.

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