12. Collaborative Galaxies
Found Year: 1785
It Was Discovered by William Herschel
Location: Multiple Sites
A galaxy must connect with other galaxies as little as possible in order to exist in its current state. This is in contrast to humans, who have evolved and flourished as a species because of our ability to communicate with one another. Occasionally, though, the interactions become inevitable and the gravitational fields of the galaxies collide.
Galaxies Engaging in Interaction ©NASA photo/Shutterstock
NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 are two galaxies that are 75 million light-years from Earth and are currently interacting to merge. We could see our own Milky Way doing the same with the much larger Andromeda galaxy if anyone is still alive in 4.5 billion years. One will either become the other’s demise or combine like Kraft Heinz.
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