AM 2026-424
AM 2026-424 (ESO 285-19) is a pair of interacting ring galaxies 704 Million light years away (215.85 Mpc) away in the southern constellation of Microscopium.[1]. It is classified as a ring galaxy, formed as the result of a violent, head-on galactic collision[2] .
| AM 2026-424 | |
|---|---|
| File:AM 2026-424.png AM 2026-424, taken by the HST. The 2 are a pair of interacting ring galaxies. | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Microscopium |
| Right ascension | 20h 29m 33.3s |
| Declination | −42° 30′ 20″ |
| Redshift | 15564 ± 45 km/s[1] |
| Helio radial velocity | 15564 ± 45 km/s[1] |
| Galactocentric velocity | 15535 ± 45 km/s[1] |
| Distance | 704 Mly[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 14.5[3] |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 14.9[4] |
| Absolute magnitude (V) | −22.2[1] |
| Absolute magnitude (B) | −21.8[4] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | Ring |
| Size | 200,000 ly[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 0.98′ × 0.67′ |
| Other designations | |
| ESO 285-19, PGC 64801, PGC 64805 | |
Observation and cataloging
The system was first cataloged in the Catalogue of Southern Peculiar Galaxies and Associations (AM Catalogue), compiled by astronomers Halton Arp and Barry F. Madore in 1987[2]. It consists of two principal galactic components or nuclei: the western component cataloged as PGC 64801, and the eastern component cataloged as PGC 64805 (also designated as ESO 285-19A)[4].
In October 2019, the Hubble Space Telescope released a detailed image of the system captured by its Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The system was nicknamed the "Ghostly Face" or "Cosmic Face" due to the positioning of the two bright nuclei resembling eyes, surrounded by a ring of star formation that mimics the outline of a face and hair[5]
Characteristics
The ring structure of AM 2026-424 spans roughly 200,000 light-years across, which is nearly twice the diameter of the Milky Way.[1]. Unlike stable ring galaxies like Hoag's Object, which feature a symmetric, isolated ring surrounding a single core, AM 2026-424 is a short-lived transitional structure[2]. The head-on collision pulled and stretched the galaxies' disks of gas, dust, and stars outward, triggering a massive wave of starburst activity that forms the ring[5]
Because the two galactic nuclei are still distinctly visible, astronomers determine that the two galaxies were of roughly equal size before the collision.[4]. This disrupts the more common scenario where a larger galaxy cannibalizes a much smaller companion. The system is expected to fully merge into a single, larger galaxy over the next few hundred million years[5]
See also
- Mayall's Object
- Cartwheel Galaxy
- Hoag's Object
- AM 0644-741
- Arp-Madore 417-391
- ESO 69-6
- PGC 6240
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Jones, D. Heath; Read, Mike A.; Saunders, Will; et al. (October 2009). "The 6dF Galaxy Survey: final data release (DR3) and velocity catalogue". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 399 (2): 683–698. Bibcode:2009MNRAS.399..683J. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15338.x. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "6dF2009" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Madore, Barry F.; Nelson, Eric; Petrillo, Kristen (May 2009). "Atlas and Catalog of Collisional Ring Galaxies". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 181 (2): 572–604. Bibcode:2009ApJS..181..572M. doi:10.1088/0067-0049/181/2/572.
- ↑ Lauberts, A. (1982). The ESO/Uppsala survey of the ESO (B) atlas. Garching bei München: European Southern Observatory. Bibcode:1982euse.book.....L. Search this book on
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Paturel, G.; Petit, C.; Prugniel, P.; et al. (November 2003). "HYPERLEDA. I. Identification and designation of galaxies". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 412 (1): 45–55. Bibcode:2003A&A...412...45P. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20031411. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "LEDA" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Colliding Galaxies Ring in the Holidays". HubbleSite. Space Telescope Science Institute. October 28, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
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