stsci_2008-16br April 25th, 2008
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
NGC 3256 is an impressive example of a peculiar galaxy that is actually the relict of a collision of two separate galaxies that took place in a distant past. The telltale signs of the collision are two extended luminous tails swirling out from the galaxy. NGC 3256 belongs to the Hydra-Centaurus supercluster complex and provides a nearby template for studying the properties of young star clusters in tidal tails. The system hides a double nucleus and a tangle of dust lanes in the central region. The tails are studded with a particularly high density of star clusters.
Provider: Space Telescope Science Institute
Image Source: https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2008/news-2008-16
Curator: STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA
Image Use Policy: http://hubblesite.org/copyright/
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
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