---
title: "Astronomy Photo of the Day: 6/22/15 — Arp 22"
description: "[caption id=\"attachment_41036\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"700\"] Arp 22 (Image Credit: ESO)[/caption] Colliding galaxies are a regular fixture throughout the universe, and we feature them often. Today, we see Arp 22 (otherwise known as NGC 4027): a settled pair of colliding galaxies located 75 million light-years from Earth in the little-known constellation of Corvus. Astronomers deem it a..."
date: "2015-06-22"
modified: "2015-06-22"
authors:
  - name: "Jaime Trosper"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jaimefqtq"
url: "https://futurism.com/apotd-arp-22"
categories:
  - "From Quarks to Quasars"
---

# Astronomy Photo of the Day: 6/22/15 — Arp 22

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Arp-22.jpg>)

![Arp 22](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Arp-22-1024x997.jpg>)
*Arp 22 *(Image Credit: ESO)**

Colliding galaxies are a regular fixture throughout the universe, and we feature them often. Today, we see Arp 22 (otherwise known as [NGC 4027](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_4027>)): a settled pair of colliding galaxies located 75 million light-years from Earth in the little-known constellation of Corvus.

Astronomers deem it a barred spiral galaxy, with peculiar tendencies (like the spiral arm that sweeps above Arp 22, making it resemble an upside-down comma), which are attributed to the absorption of another galaxy that wandered too close millions of years ago.

The most likely culprit is a small galaxy called NGC 4027a, but it isn't the only candidate, for Arp 22 belongs to the [NGC 4038 Galaxy Group](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_4038_Group>). Between 13 and 27 galaxies call it "home," but it also has one super famous member—the colliding galaxies collectively known as [the Antennae](<https://futurism.com/the-galactic-duet-of-the-antennae-galaxies>).

![NGC 4038 and NGC 4039: the Antennae ](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Antennae-Galaxies.jpg>)
*NGC 4038 and NGC 4039: the Antennae *(Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/J.DePasquale; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech; Optical: NASA/STScI)**

The [European Southern Observatory](<http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1030a/>) provides more information about this image:

This image is based on data collected with the ESO Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera *(EFOSC)* attached to the 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope *(NTT)* at the ESO La Silla Observatory in Chile. The data were collected through three broadband filters *(B, V and R)* and two narrowband filters *(Hα and doubly ionised oxygen)*.

## Author
Jaime is a freelance writer, who finds great joy in sharing the wonders of universe with others. She used this passion to launch "From Quarks to Quasars" in 2012.