帕沃的巨型星系
(原标题: Giant Galaxies in Pavo)
2023-06-23
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NGC 6872（右上）直径超过50万光年，是一个真正巨大的棒旋星系，至少是我们银河系的5倍大。这个巨大星系扭曲和伸展的螺旋臂的外观让人联想到一只巨大的鸟的华丽翅膀。当然，它的绰号是秃鹰星系。它位于大约2亿光年远的南方星座Pavo，孔雀。由于NGC 6872与附近较小的星系IC 4970的引力相互作用，扭曲的螺旋臂被恒星形成区域所包围，就在这个巨大星系的核心上方。Pavo星系群中占主导地位的巨大椭圆星系ngc6876位于高耸的秃鹰星系的下方和左侧。
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Over 500,000 light years across, NGC 6872 (top right) is a truly enormous barred spiral galaxy, at least 5 times the size of our own very large Milky Way. The appearance of this giant galaxy's distorted and stretched out spiral arms suggests the magnificent wings of a giant bird. Of course its popular moniker is the Condor galaxy. It lies about 200 million light-years distant toward the southern constellation Pavo, the Peacock. Lined with star-forming regions, the distorted spiral arms are due to NGC 6872's gravitational interaction with the nearby smaller galaxy IC 4970, seen just above the giant galaxy's core. The Pavo galaxy group's dominant giant elliptical galaxy, NGC 6876 is below and left of the soaring Condor galaxy.
© Mike Selby