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NGC3312 – Final Color

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NGC3312 - Chile

NGC3312 – Chile

This is the central region of the Hydra I galaxy cluster. The two ellipticals on the left are NGC3309 and NGC3311 (largest). The galaxy of interest here is on the far right – NGC3312. Usually, the effect of gravitational pull on a galaxy shows up as a bending out of a spiral arm. Here we see what appears to be material being lifted up from the arm itself by the tidal action of NGC3311, or perhaps both ellipticals.
I call it the “ruptured tire” galaxy.