2.3 APOD

These two galaxies are known collectively as Arp 87. The bridge between them is made of stars, gas, and dust. It spans 75,000 lightyears, and shows that there is a gravitational connection between the two galaxies. At one point, the two galaxies came close to eachother and a "violent gravitational battle" ensued. This type of connection is relatively common, and it is expected that the two galaxies will eventually join to create one larger galaxy. The blue spots on the galaxy on the right are regions where new stars have recently formed. This was likely a result of the interaction between the two galaxies.