WEBVTT FILE

1
00:00:00.149 --> 00:00:07.770
This interacting galaxy duo, called Arp 143,
holds the distorted, star-forming spiral galaxy

2
00:00:07.770 --> 00:00:18.109
NGC 2445 at the right, along with its less
flashy companion, NGC 2444 at the left.

3
00:00:18.109 --> 00:00:24.550
Astronomers think both galaxies passed through
each other, igniting the unique triangular-shaped

4
00:00:24.550 --> 00:00:26.960
firestorm of star birth.

5
00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:34.710
Because NGC 2445 is rich in gas, the fuel
of star formation, it holds thousands of infant

6
00:00:34.710 --> 00:00:35.710
stars.

7
00:00:35.710 --> 00:00:39.690
Yet it hasn’t escaped the gravitational
clutches of its partner.

8
00:00:39.690 --> 00:00:46.600
The pair is waging a cosmic tug-of-war, and
NGC 2444 appears to be winning.

9
00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:52.370
The galaxy has pulled gas from its companion,
forming the oddball triangle of newly-minted

10
00:00:52.370 --> 00:00:53.610
stars.

11
00:00:53.610 --> 00:00:58.690
By studying head-on galaxy collisions like
this, we can better understand the origins

12
00:00:58.690 --> 00:01:02.530
and evolution of ringed star formation in
galaxies.