Why does this galaxy have such a long tail? In this impressive image from the Hubble Legacy Archive, Arp 188, or the tadpole galaxy, is on display. In the background are distant galaxies. The tadpole galaxy is located in the direction of the constellation Dragon (Draco) and is about 420 million light-years away from us.

The galaxy's prominent long tail is about 280 thousand light-years long. This tail is filled with clusters of bright, blue stars. According to scientists, this image is the result of a galaxy collision. When a smaller and denser galaxy passed in front of Arp 188, it created a strong gravitational effect. This dragged Arp 188's stars, gas and dust, creating this long tail.

The small galaxy that caused the tail to form is located about 300,000 light-years behind Arp 188 and can be seen in the upper right of the photo. Just as a real tadpole loses its tail over time, this galaxy will lose its tail as it ages. The star clusters in the tail will eventually become small satellites orbiting this massive galaxy.

June 21, 2021 Astronomy Photo of the Day (NASA APOD)

Image Source: Hubble Legacy Archive, ESA, NASA; Processing: Amal Biju