The constellation Pegasus has long been associated with divine inspiration, creativity, and freedom. In Hawaiian astronomy, the same constellation is known as Ka Lupe o Kawelo, home to NGC 7253, a pair of galaxies more than 200 million light-years away that are slowly being pulled toward one another by gravity.
Now, a new image taken by the Gemini North telescope on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, captures the cosmic encounter in unprecedented detail, offering the closest look yet at NGC 7253. Gemini North is operated by NSF NOIRLab, which uses dedicated observing time to create astronomical images for the public.
But astronomers weren’t the only ones involved in bringing this cosmic scene to the public. Hawaiʻi Island middle and high school students participating in Project Hōkūlani helped select NGC 7253 for Gemini North to image and then gave the resulting picture a name: Nā ʻUhane Māhoe Huki Pū i ke Ola, translating to “The Twin Spirits Pulling Together Creating Life.” The name captures both the galaxies’ gravitational interaction and the students’ own experiences during their time learning about astronomy on Maunakea.
Two Galaxies Are Slowly Becoming One
At first glance, NGC 7253 looks like two separate spiral galaxies, each with its own bright center and sprawling arms. But their proximity means gravity is tugging the galaxies toward one another, distorting their shapes as they gradually move toward a merger that will take billions of years.
Explore All OptionsThat interaction is particularly visible in the galaxies’ wispy spiral arms, which helped inspire the first part of the students’ name, Nā ʻUhane Māhoe, or “the twin spirits.”
The pairing also has a connection closer to home. The International Gemini Observatory is itself a two-part observatory, with Gemini North on Maunakea and Gemini South on Cerro Pachón in Chile.
“ʻUhane (spirit) was an important theme for our group,” said Samantha Silva-Sampaio, a local student who helped name the image, in a press release. “Our experiences throughout the week — ʻoli (stargazing), visiting the summit, and learning about the awesome scientific discoveries made possible by Maunakea — ignited our own spirits as we prepare for life after high school.”
Read More: Galactic Archaeology Reveals How a Galaxy Formed Over 12 Billion Years
Different Ways of Understanding the Universe
The middle portion of the name, Huki Pū, describes what is happening to the galaxies themselves. Their mutual gravity is pulling them together, slowly transforming both galaxies in the process.
But the students saw another meaning in that interaction. Their experience on Maunakea brought together people with different skills and backgrounds, from the students themselves to the scientists and others who helped make the internship possible.
“Many people from around the world and different areas of expertise came together to make our internship possible, and we learned so much from everyone,” said Mylin Wilson, another student involved in the project, in the release. “Our experience, and astronomy itself, is a kākou (collective) type of practice.”
Manu Silva-Sampaio, another student who took part in the naming process, similarly sees the name as a reminder that astronomy can connect different ways of understanding the universe.
“ʻUhane in this image reminds us that astronomy is not just science or spirit; it's both at the same time,” said Manu Silva-Sampaio in the statement.
New Stars Make Hydrogen Gas Glow Bright Pink
The final part of the name, i ke Ola, or “creating life,” comes from something happening inside the interacting galaxies.
As spiral galaxies merge, clouds of gas and dust can collide and compress, triggering bursts of star formation. The newly formed stars release intense radiation that ionizes nearby hydrogen gas, creating regions known as H II regions. In the new image, these regions appear as concentrations of bright pink light scattered throughout the galaxies.
The students learned about this process while researching NGC 7253 and its merger, eventually connecting the formation of new stars to the idea of life in their name.
“Stars are sources of life and health for us as human beings, because our sun is a star, and we cannot live without it,” said Manu Silva-Sampaio.
Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
- This article references information from NSF NOIRLab: Hawai‘i Students Name Image of Glittering Galaxy Pair Nā ʻUhane Māhoe Huki Pū i ke Ola
