Look at five galaxies that have merged into one amazing "dance"

The Haxon Compact Group 40 (HCG 40) is a dense group of galaxies located at a distance of about 300 million

light years from Earth in the direction of the constellationHydras. This cluster includes three spiral, one elliptical and one lenticular galaxy. Captured by a single gravitational “dance,” the group is so dense that it can fit in a ball whose diameter is half the size of the disk of the Milky Way.

Source: NASA, ESA, STScI

Researchers believe that a possible reasonThe formation of such a dense cluster is the presence of a large amount of dark matter that forms the cloud in which these galaxies rotate. Breaking through dark matter, they gradually lose energy and slow down under the influence of friction. Astrophysicists believe that in about a billion years, these galaxies will finally collide and form a single elliptical structure.

Researchers have detected compact sourcesradio emissions emanating from the centers of almost all HCG 40 galaxies. Scientists believe that this indicates the presence of supermassive black holes. In addition, X-ray analysis showed gravitational interactions between galaxies. 

Although over several decades of observation there have beenWith over a hundred such clusters cataloged, HCG 40 remains the densest group, the researchers note. Scientists believe that such close clusters were more numerous in the early stages of the universe and served as fuel for quasars. The European Space Agency notes that the analysis of galaxies in such close clusters will help astrophysicists better understand when and where galaxies formed and what they are made of.

Panoramic sky image centered on HCG 40. Source: ESA/Hubble, Digitized Sky Survey 2. Acknowledgment: D. De Martin

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