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NASA, ESA; Acknowledgments: T. Roberts (Durham University, UK), D. Calzetti (University of Massachusetts) and the LEGUS team, R. Tully (University of Hawaii) and R. Chandar (University of Toledo) .
The irregular galaxy NGC 4485 shows all the signs of an involvement in an accident with a bypass galaxy. Rather than destroying the galaxy, the chance encounter engenders a new generation of stars and presumably planets.
The right side of the galaxy is in flames with star formation, illustrated by the plethora of young blue stars and pinkish nebulae incubating. The left side, however, seems intact. It contains allusions to the anterior spiral structure of the galaxy, which at one point experienced a normal galactic evolution.
The largest culprit galaxy, NGC 4490, is at the bottom of the frame. The two galaxies came together millions of years ago and are now 24,000 light years apart. The gravitational standoff between them created undulating plates of gas and dust of higher density in both galaxies. This activity sparked a wave of star training.
This galaxy is a close example of the kind of activity of cosmic bumper cars that was most common billions of years ago when the Universe was smaller and the galaxies closer to each other.
NGC 4485 is located 25 million light-years away from the northern constellation, Canes Venatici (hunting dogs).
This new image, captured by Hubble's Wide Area Camera 3 (WFC3), provides a better understanding of the complexity of galaxy evolution.
The Hubble Space Telescope is an international cooperation project between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in the Maryland Greenbelt manages the telescope. The Institute of Space Telescope Sciences (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble's scientific activities. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C.
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