Classroom Aid - ARP 107

this is the interacting Galaxy pair named ARP 107 they collided hundreds of millions of years ago the smaller elliptical galaxy had an off-center Collision instead of a direct hit this significantly Disturbed the spiral arms of the larger Galaxy the image is a composite combining observations from web's midinfrared instrument and its near infrared camera the near infrared highlights the Stars within both galaxies and the connection between them a transparent White Bridge of stars pulled from both galaxies during their Passage through each other the orange red highlights star forming regions and dust this midinfrared image highlights the bright center of the large spiral galaxy it contains an accreting super massive black hole