Explanation:
Posing for
this cosmic family photo
are the galaxies of HCG
(Hickson Compact Group)
87, about four hundred million
light-years distant toward the amphibious constellation
Capricornus.
The large edge-on
spiral near picture center, the fuzzy
elliptical galaxy immediately to its right, and the
spiral near the top of the image are identified members of the
group, while the small spiral
galaxy in the middle is likely a
more distant background galaxy.
In any event, a careful examination of the deep image reveals other
galaxies which certainly lie far beyond
HCG 87.
While not exactly locked in
a
group hug, the HCG 87 galaxies
are interacting
gravitationally, influencing their
fellow group members' structure and evolution.
This image is from the commissioning phase of an instrument on the
Gemini Observatory's
South Telescope at Cerro Pachon, Chile.
It compares favorably with views of this photogenic galaxy group
recorded by the
Hubble
Space Telescope.
