Meathook Galaxy Is Gorgeous, Not As Cool As Meat Spin.

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This is the Meathook galaxy. At one point in time, it was a typical spiral galaxy. After a gazillion zillion years of getting its ass-whupped, it now resembles the good ole letter S.

Why?

io9:

The Meathook Galaxy, or NGC 2442, has a dramatically lopsided shape. One spiral arm is tightly folded in on itself and host to a recent supernova, while the other, dotted with recent star formation, extends far out from the nucleus. The MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured two contrasting views of this asymmetric spiral galaxy . . . This broad view, taken by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at La Silla, Chile, very clearly shows the double hook shape that gives the galaxy its nickname. This image also captures several other galaxies close to NGC 2442 as well as many more remote galaxies that form a rich backdrop . . .

A close-up image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope focuses on the galaxy’s nucleus and the more compact of its two spiral arms. In 1999, a massive star at the end of its life exploded in this arm in a supernova . . . By the time of this image the supernova itself had faded and is not visible.

Pretty cool. Pretty cool. Galactic throwdowns are always outstanding.