Taken with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at our Paranal Observatory, this image shows galaxy NGC 3640 and the close, smaller galaxy NGC 3641, now in NGC 3640's path.
A team of astronomers used the VST to analyse their globular clusters –– dense spherical conglomerations of old stars. These usually contain some of the first stars created within a galaxy and can therefore act as fossil markers, revealing the galaxy’s history, even after merging events.
The results confirm that NGC 3640 has engulfed other galaxies before. Yet it also shows that the interaction between NGC 3640 and NGC 3641, while fast, is not happening close enough for NGC 3640 to pose a threat... for now.
Read more: eso.org/public/images/potw2507…
📷 ESO/INAF/M. Mirabile et al./R. Ragusa et al.
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