Facts about Arp 220

1. 08

   Carbon monoxide emissions from Arp 220 indicate molecular gas masses exceeding 1 billion solar masses, providing fuel for its exceptionally vigorous star formation.

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2. 07

   Arp 220's molecular gas extends across approximately 10,000 light-years, forming one of the most massive molecular reservoirs known in any galaxy system.

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3. 06

   Within Arp 220's core, water masers amplify microwave radiation to brightness levels billions of times greater than the Sun, revealing extreme conditions in this merging galaxy system.

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4. 05

   Approximately 90 percent of Arp 220's luminosity originates from infrared radiation rather than visible light, requiring space-based telescopes to observe most of its energy output.

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5. 04

   Observations with the Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope revealed that Arp 220 undergoes intense starburst activity with star formation rates exceeding 100 solar masses annually.

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6. 03

   Arp 220's central regions contain approximately 200 million solar masses of dust concentrated within just 100 light-years, making it one of the dustiest known galaxies.

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7. 02

   Located approximately 250 million light-years away, Arp 220 contains two colliding galaxies with supermassive black holes separated by only 750 light-years.

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8. 01

   The ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp 220 releases approximately 100 times more energy than the Milky Way despite containing similar stellar mass.

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