Giant elliptical galaxy
M60 and spiral galaxy NGC 4647 do look like an odd couple in this sharp cosmic portrait from the Hubble Space Telescope.
But they are found in a
region of space where galaxies tend to gather, on the eastern side of the
nearby Virgo Galaxy Cluster. About 54 million light-years distant, bright
M60's simpler egg-like shape is created by its randomly swarming older
stars, while NGC 4647's young blue stars, gas and dust are organized into
winding arms rotating in a flattened disk.
Spiral NGC 4647 is estimated to be more distant than M60, some 63 million light-years
away.
Also known as Arp 116, the pair of galaxies may be on the verge of a significant
gravitational encounter, though. M60 (aka NGC 4649) is about 120,000 light-years across.
The smaller NGC 4647 spans around 90,000 light-years, about the size of our own Milky Way.
Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
