This system consists of a pair of galaxies, dubbed IC 694 and NGC 3690, which made a close pass some 700 million years ago. As a result of this interaction, the system underwent a fierce burst of star formation. In the last fifteen years or so six supernovae have popped off in the outer reaches of the galaxy, making this system a distinguished supernova factory. Arp 299 belongs to the family of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies and is located in the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear, approximately 150 million light-years away. It is the 299th galaxy in Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies


This system consists of a pair of galaxies, dubbed IC 694 and NGC 3690, which made a close pass some 700 million years ago. As a result of this interaction, the system underwent a fierce burst of star formation. In the last fifteen years or so six supernovae have popped off in the outer reaches of the galaxy, making this system a distinguished supernova factory. Arp 299 belongs to the family of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies and is located in the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear, approximately 150 million light-years away. It is the 299th galaxy in Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. Despite its enormous amount of absorbing dust, enough violet and near-ultraviolet light leaks out for it to be number 171 in Markarian's catalog of galaxies with excess ultraviolet emission. This image is part of a large collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008. Object Names: NGC 3690, IC 694, Mrk 171, Arp 299, VV 118, KPG 288 Image Type: Astronomical Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)


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Keywords: astronomical, astronomy, deep, galaxies, galaxy, hst, hubble, jet, jpl, laboratory, nebula, orbit, probe, propulsion, research, science, scientific, space, star, supernova, telescope