A Galactic Illusion

A wide shot of this Image of the Week captures both NGC 4410 and NGC 4411. In the center of the image, NGC 4411 is a serene pair of spiral galaxies in a deceptive union. Though the companions are thought to be right next to each other — both at a distance of about 50 million light-years from us — they don’t show signs of interaction, such as distorted arms.

The pair NGC4411b (left) and NCG 4411a (right) were captured by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) which was built by the Department of Energy and mounted on the prime focus of Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab, in Chile. NGC 4411a is a particularly satisfying galaxy to observe because of its distinct and symmetrical spiral arms that swirl more than 360 degrees around its core. 

If the galaxies of NGC 4411 were interacting, they would look more intertwined, like NGC 4410, above them in this image. The four interacting galaxies of that system are connected by tidal bridges, created by the gravity of each galaxy pulling on the others in the system.

This image was captured as part of the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, which was conducted to identify targets for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) operations.