Witnessing the Incredible Spectacle of Taffy Galaxies Colliding and Forming a Bridge of Star Formation
Astronomers have discovered an incredible phenomenon as two galaxies collide: a bridge of star formation has been created between them! Using the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists were able to observe the two galaxies, named Taffy 1 and Taffy 2, and their interaction in unprecedented detail. They found that the shockwaves from the collision have triggered star formation in the bridge, which is a region of gas and dust between the two galaxies. This bridge is estimated to be about 300 light-years long, and is filled with new stellar nurseries. This discovery is providing valuable insight into the effects of galaxy collisions and the evolution of galaxies over time.
source: Phys.org