2024-01-05 18:41:15
The Hubble Space Telescope captures a vast group of galaxies. – ESA/HUBBLE & NASA, J. DALCANTON,
MADRID, 5 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a collection of spiral galaxies whose proximity in the cosmos is distorted by our observation perspective from Earth.
The large, prominent spiral galaxy on the right side of the image is NGC 1356; the two apparently smaller spiral galaxies flanking it are LEDA 467699 (above) and LEDA 95415 (very close to its left), respectively; and finally, IC 1947 is located on the left side of the image.
A quick look at this image would probably make one think that NGC 1356, LEDA 467699, and LEDA 95415 were close companions, while IC 1947 was more remote.
However, — explains NASA it’s a statement —Two-dimensional images like this only give an indication of angular separation: that is, how objects are distributed across the sphere of the night sky. What they cannot represent is the distance at which objects are from Earth.
For example, while NGC 1356 and LEDA 95415 appear to be so close that they must surely be interacting, the former is about 550 million light-years from Earth and the latter is about 840 million light-years away, so there is almost a enormous distance. 300 million light years apart. That also means that LEDA 95415 is probably not as small as NGC 1356 as it seems.
On the other hand, while NGC 1356 and IC 1947 appear to be separated by a relative chasm in this image, IC 1947 is only about 500 million light years from Earth. The apparent angular distance between them in this image alone is less than 400,000 light years, so they are actually much closer neighbors in three-dimensional space than NGC 1356 and LEDA 95415.
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