Foreign media: A research team from Tsinghua University in China, using equipment such as the James Webb Space Telescope, unexpectedly discovered two colliding ring galaxies undergoing a rare merger, forming a structure resembling an owl's face, called the "Cosmic Owl."
A related research paper (published on ArXix) points out that the structure of this double-ring galaxy system is almost perfectly symmetrical, with each ring having a diameter of about 26,000 light-years and a collision angle close to head-on. In the image, the cores of the two galaxies form the "eyes" of the owl, while the young stars and nebulae in the middle emit light to form the "beak."
This discovery reveals key mechanisms in the early universe, such as star formation and the growth of supermassive black holes, including head-on collisions, dual-nucleus active galaxies, and starbursts triggered by jets, providing important clues for understanding galaxy evolution.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836715990398983/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.