NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 are known as the Antennae Galaxies. They are a famous pair of interacting spiral galaxies. They are located in the constellation Corvus. They are currently undergoing a violent galactic collision that began approximately 900 million years ago.
Key Characteristics
Nicknames: Commonly known as the Antennae Galaxies or the Ringtail Galaxy. They are also cataloged as Caldwell 60/61 and Arp 244.
Distance: Estimates of their distance from Earth range between 45 million and 65 million light-years.
Appearance: Their name comes from two long “tidal tails” of ejected stars, gas, and dust that resemble an insect’s antennae. These tails span over 500,000 light-years.
Starburst Activity: The collision has led to a massive “starburst” phase. In this phase, clouds of gas and dust are being compressed. This compression forms billions of new stars and super star clusters.
