NGC 7252 is a lenticular galaxy 220 million light years away in the constellation Aquarius.
The galaxy is nicknamed the “Atoms-for-Peace” galaxy because its stars form loop-like structure (tidal tails) that resemble a diagram of electrons orbiting an atomic nucleus. Similar to the logo used by the United States in the 1950’s.
The galaxy is the result of a merger of two galaxies over a billion years ago.
A June 2018 paper in Astronomy and Astrophysics by Weaver, Husemann et al observed that although NGC 7252 is classified as post-starburst galaxy at the centre, the elliptical-like major-merger remnant still appears very active.
A central gas disc has presumably re-formed within the last 100 million years (from when the light from this galaxy began its journey here) and features ongoing star formation.
The galaxy main body is a single-nucleus merger remnant and represents the final stages of the Toomre sequence of merging, where the merger remnant will eventually deplete the fuel for star formation and evolve into an elliptical galaxy
My thanks to Ian Cooper for suggesting this galaxy as an imaging target.
Imaged in LRGB on my Planewave CDK 1000 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image Acquisition and Processing: Mike Selby
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