Stephan's Quintet group of galaxies

by: Gemini obs./Novapix
Reference: a-amg02-00101
Date: 2006-05-08

Stephan's Quintet is located 300 million light years away. The galaxies shapes are warped by gravitational interactions occurring over millions of years. The ongoing dance deformed their structures while spawning a prolific fireworks display of star formation fueled by clouds of hydrogen gas that were shocked into clumps to form stellar nurseries. Image made with Gemini North telescope.

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