Produced by: Manoj Kumar
NGC 3640 isn’t just any galaxy—it’s a galactic cannibal, known for engulfing and merging with smaller galaxies.
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Recent images show NGC 3640 is on a collision course with its next victim—the smaller galaxy NGC 3641.
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This elliptical galaxy lurks in deep space, slowly consuming neighboring galaxies over billions of years.
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Past galactic meals have distorted NGC 3640’s shape, leaving behind a misshaped, oval-like structure.
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Ancient stars in NGC 3640 act as cosmic scars, proving it has absorbed galaxies before.
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Although NGC 3641 remains undisturbed for now, it’s only a matter of time before it’s pulled in and devoured.
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NGC 3640 isn’t alone—most large galaxies, including our own Milky Way, have consumed smaller galaxies.
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When galaxies collide, their structures are ripped apart, but new stars and planetary systems are born.
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The Milky Way will eventually merge with Andromeda in about 4.5 billion years, much like NGC 3640’s process.
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