5The James Webb Space Telescope captured images of two galaxies merging, revealing a dramatic cosmic dance. The first galaxy, NGC 7320, spans 120,000 light-years and emits a faint red glow, indicating active star formation. The second galaxy, NGC 7319, is approaching NGC 7320 at 220 km/s. If the merger is expected to complete in 3 billion years, how many light-years apart are they currently, assuming their relative speed remains constant? (Use 1 year ≈ 9.46 × 10¹² km and 1 light-year ≈ 9.46 × 10¹² km)

Mon, 04 May 2026 09:40:26 +0000

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Stunning Merger Between Two Galaxies – How Far Apart Are They? The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has once again transformed our view of the cosmos, capturing breathtaking images of two galaxies caught in a dramatic cosmic dance. Observed in a nearby galactic pair, NGC 7320 and NGC 7319, this merger showcases one of the universe’s most dynamic evolutionary processes. ### A Close Encounter in Space
NGC 7320, a striking galaxy spanning approximately 120,000 light-years across, is glowing faintly in a rich red hue. This color signals active star formation—an early city of stellar births within the galactic disk. NGC 7319, moving rapidly toward NGC 7320 at 220 kilometers per second, is on a collision course set to complete in about 3 billion years. ### Calculating the Distance: How Far Apart Are These Galaxies?
JWST’s high-precision data reveals NGC 7319 is currently about 241,900 light-years away from NGC 7320. Using the merger speed and the projected completion time, scientists estimate their separation using simple kinematics.