Facts about Tadpole Galaxy
- 08
Asymmetrical star formation rates across UGC 10214's body produce brighter emissions in the leading edge compared to the trailing regions, a pattern driven by compression waves from the gravitational encounter.
- 07
Spectroscopic analysis reveals that UGC 10214's tail contains significantly lower metallicity than its galactic nucleus, indicating the tail material originated from the outer regions of the disrupted companion galaxy.
- 06
At approximately 100 kiloparsecs in total extent, UGC 10214 ranks among the largest known galaxies by physical size despite its relatively modest stellar mass compared to giant elliptical galaxies.
- 05
Hubble Space Telescope observations reveal that UGC 10214's tail contains younger stellar populations than its main body, suggesting ongoing star formation continues as material streams outward.
- 04
The Tadpole Galaxy's main body contains approximately 100 billion stars, making it comparable in total stellar population to the Milky Way despite its much more compact and disrupted morphology.
- 03
Blue star clusters within the Tadpole Galaxy indicate active star formation occurring at rates significantly higher than in our Milky Way.
- 02
Gravitational interaction with a nearby galaxy approximately 100 million years ago created the Tadpole Galaxy's dramatic tail structure through tidal disruption.
- 01
Located approximately 2.4 billion light-years away, the Tadpole Galaxy UGC 10214 exhibits a distinctive tail extending roughly 280,000 light-years in length.