File:Infrared Photograph of Andromeda Galaxy.jpg

Summary

"Astronomers have new evidence that the Andromeda spiral galaxy was involved in a violent head-on collision with the neighboring dwarf galaxy Messier 32 (M32)...Infrared photographs taken with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope revealed a never-before-seen dust ring deep within the Andromeda galaxy. When combined with a previously observed outer ring, the presence of both dust rings suggests that M32 plunged through the disk of Andromeda along Andromeda's polar axis..."

Copyright status:

This image is public domain because it was first published by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Source:

http://www.nasaimages.org/luna/servlet/detail/nasaNAS~12~12~64133~168512:Forensic-Evidence-of-a-Galactic-Col?qvq=q:galaxy;lc:nasaNAS~20~20,NVA2~50~50,NVA2~28~28,NVA2~32~32,NVA2~37~37,NVA2~41~41,nasaNAS~4~4,nasaNAS~5~5,NVA2~8~8,nasaNAS~22~22,NVA2~16~16,NVA2~48~48,NVA2~61~61,nasaNAS~13~13,NVA2~20~20,NVA2~52~52,NVA2~75~75,NVA2~25~25,NVA2~57~57,NVA2~34~34,NVA2~43~43,NVA2~39~39,NVA2~1~1,nasaNAS~6~6,NVA2~9~9,NVA2~27~27,NVA2~31~31,NVA2~54~54,NVA2~45~45,nasaNAS~10~10,NVA2~36~36,NVA2~18~18,NVA2~13~13,NVA2~22~22,NVA2~59~59,nasaNAS~7~7,nasaNAS~8~8,NVA2~47~47,NVA2~60~60,NVA2~29~29,NVA2~33~33,NVA2~56~56,NVA2~15~15,NVA2~24~24,nasaNAS~12~12,NVA2~51~51,NVA2~38~38,NVA2~42~42,NVA2~4~4,nasaNAS~9~9,NSVS~3~3,nasaNAS~2~2,NVA2~17~17,NVA2~30~30,NVA2~62~62,NVA2~53~53,NVA2~44~44,NVA2~35~35,NVA2~26~26,NVA2~58~58,NVA2~21~21,NVA2~49~49,NVA2~14~14,nasaNAS~16~16,NVA2~23~23,NVA2~46~46,NVA2~55~55,NVA2~19~19,NVA2~76~76&mi=120&trs=2860