Galaxy NGC 5427
This new image, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, shows the galaxy NGC 5427 shining in space.
**NGC 5427 is part of the Arp 271 pair of galaxies and its companion, NGC 5426, is located below this galaxy and outside the frame of this image. However, the image shows the effects of the pair's gravity through the distortion of the galaxy and the cosmic star bridge seen in the lower right region.
In 1785, British astronomer William Herschel discovered this pair of galaxies. It is believed that this interaction will continue for tens of millions of years. It is still uncertain whether the two galaxies will eventually collide and merge, but their mutual attraction has already led to the birth of many new stars.
These young stars appear in the faint bridge connecting the two galaxies, located at the bottom of the image. This bridge provides a way for the two galaxies to continue sharing gas and dust, which turns into new stars.
Scientists believe that Arp 271 could be a model for future interactions between our Milky Way galaxy and our neighbor the Andromeda Galaxy, which are expected to occur in about 4 billion years.
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