Interactions and Evolution
The figure shown below
is a Hubble Space Telescope image of a cluster of
galaxies approximately 8 billion light years away (one of the most distant galaxy clusters known)
in which there is evidence for a very large amount
of current and recent interaction between galaxies.
Among the hundreds of galaxies in the image, thirteen have
been identified as presently
undergoing or recently participating in collisions (see the blowups in the right panels
of the image). For example, in the blowups we see clearly galaxies with double nuclei
that are in various stages of merger.
