Hubble telescope captures striking image of a dying galaxy

[Admin]

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a striking photo of a dying galaxy.

Hubble telescope captures striking image of a dying galaxy : Read more

 

[sam85geo]

Why would a galaxy lose it's gas and dust? Any theories about NCG 1947.? Possible effect(s) in the Milky Way?

 

[Catastrophe]

I am no expert but Solar Wind (or Star Wind?) is one suggestion.
Then there is star formation.

Cat

P.S. Have you seen this? Hubble Sees Plunging Galaxy Losing Its Gas | NASA

 

[Pedro]

"Over the last 200 years, NGC 1947 has lost most of the material that made up its signature spiral arms, which used to orbit around its center..."
This is factually incorrect.
No way a galaxy lost "most" of the material in its arms in only 200 years. Even if that gas was leaving the galaxy at the speed of light. At the speed of light, it would take the gas in our neighborhood about 25,000 years to get outside the Milky Way.

As for the questions about why a galaxy would lose material, I don't know the story about this one, but my first guess would be an encounter with a larger galaxy that stripped it down.

 

[Catastrophe]

From the reference in mypost #3:

Quote
Called "ram pressure stripping," the process occurs when a galaxy, due to the pull of gravity, falls toward the dense center of a massive cluster of thousands of galaxies, which swarm around like a hive of bees. During its plunge, the galaxy plows through intergalactic material, like a boat moving through water. The material pushes gas and dust from the galaxy. Once the galaxy loses all of its hydrogen gas — fuel for starbirth — it meets an untimely death because it can no longer create new stars. The gas-stripping process in D100 began roughly 300 million years ago.
Quote

There is also much more of interest in that reference.

Cat

 

[sam85geo]

I am no expert but Solar Wind (or Star Wind?) is one suggestion.
Then there is star formation.

Cat

P.S. Have you seen this? Hubble Sees Plunging Galaxy Losing Its Gas | NASA

Thanks for the reference.

 

[Catastrophe]

You are welcome. Incidentally, this image is my current background.

Cat

 

[sam85geo]

The fate of NCG 1947 seems to be akin to a felled tree being put through a shredder. It seems an incredibly momentous yet wonderous operation. Thanks Admin, Cat and Pedro for the insight and new knowledge.