NGC 2936, also known as the “Penguin Galaxy” or “Hummingbird Galaxy,” is a disrupted spiral galaxy in the constellation Hydra, located approximately 326 million light-years away from Earth.
It is interacting with the elliptical galaxy NGC 2937, and together, they form the system Arp 142, cataloged in Halton Arp’s Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.
Characteristics:
Type: Distorted spiral galaxy
Distance: ~326 million light-years
Size (Apparent): ~2.5 × 1.2 arcminutes
True Diameter: ~140,000 light-years
The gravitational interaction with NGC 2937 has significantly warped NGC 2936’s spiral structure, giving it a shape that resembles a bird or penguin in astronomical images.
The galaxy’s bright blue star-forming regions indicate ongoing stellar birth, especially in the distorted spiral arms.
The core of NGC 2936, originally the galaxy’s bulge, remains bright but is being stretched by the gravitational influence of its companion.
NGC 2936 is a prime example of galaxy mergers in action, providing insight into the future evolution of interacting galaxies, such as the eventual collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda in a few billion years.
Unlike its disturbed partner NGC 2936, NGC 2937 appears relatively smooth and featureless, typical of elliptical galaxies.
It has no prominent spiral arms or significant dust lanes. Instead, it is composed mostly of older, red stars, indicating little to no ongoing star formation.
The blue spiral galaxy located near NGC 2936 is PGC 1237172.
This galaxy appears as a bluish, elongated structure in images of NGC 2936 and NGC 2937.
Despite its proximity in the sky, PGC 1237172 is not physically associated with the interacting duo. It lies approximately 230 million light-years from Earth.
PGC 1237172 is classified as either an edge-on spiral or an irregular galaxy. Its blue hue indicates active star formation, characteristic of younger stellar populations.
Imaged in LRGB on my Planewave CDK 1000 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image acquisition and processing: Mike Selby