Cosmic noot :

⁣These penguin and egg-shaped galaxies were captured by our Spitzer and @NASAHubble space telescopes. At 23 million light-years away, this remote pairing lives about 10 times farther from us than the Andromeda galaxy.⁣
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The “penguin” part of the pair is a spiral galaxy twisted and pulled by the pull of its neighbor. Due to its mix of features – new stars, strands of gas, and others – its distortion is readily visible. The “egg,” in contrast, appears featureless due to its smooth distribution of old stars. This hides any shaping caused by its neighbor.⁣
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Over time, gravity will bring these two galaxies closer together until they merge into one. This type of merging likely occurred in the history of most large galaxies we see today, including the Milky Way.⁣
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Image Descriptions: ⁣
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1. Two galaxies stand out against a black background dotted with small, faint stars and two brighter stars at the top of the image. The “egg” galaxy is just below the “penguin,” appearing as a glowing, turquoise oblong. The “penguin” galaxy appears to be standing over its galactic neighbor. Twisted filaments of blue and red outline the penguin shape in the speckled, white glow of the galaxy’s body. Wisps of rusty lines cascade from the penguin’s “beak” to its “torso.”⁣