These galaxies are in the process of colliding and merging with each other, as studies of their distributions of neutral and molecular hydrogen show, with the highest star-formation activity in the part where they overlap. However, the system is still in an early phase of interaction.[6] In about 500 million years the galaxies will coalesce into a single elliptical galaxy.[7]
Supernovae
Four supernovae have been observed in the Butterfly Galaxies:
SN 2004cc (type Ic, mag. 17.5) was discovered by the Lick Observatory Supernova Search (LOSS) on 10 June 2004.[10][11]
SN 2020fqv (type IIb, mag. 19) was discovered by the Automatic Learning for the Rapid Classification of Events (ALeRCE) on 31 March 2020.[12]
SN 2023ijd (type II, mag. 16.8) was discovered by ASAS-SN on 14 May 2023.[13]
Naming controversy
The two galaxies were nicknamed "Siamese Twins" because they appear to be connected. On August 5, 2020, NASA announced that they would not use that nickname in an effort to avoid systemic discrimination in their terminology.[14][15]
^ abXu, Cong; Gao, Yu; Mazzarella, Joseph; Lu, Nanyao; Sulentic, Jack W.; Domingue, Donovan L. (2000). "Mapping Infrared Enhancements in Closely Interacting Spiral-Spiral Pairs. I. ISO CAM and ISO SWS Observations". The Astrophysical Journal. 541 (2): 644–659. arXiv:astro-ph/0005025. Bibcode:2000ApJ...541..644X. doi:10.1086/309483.
^ abCudnik B. (2013). "The Nature of Galaxies and Galaxy Clusters". Faint Objects and How to Observe Them. Astronomers' Observing Guides. Springer. pp. 71–91. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-6757-2_4. ISBN978-1-4419-6756-5.
^Kaneko, H.; Kuno, N.; Iono, D.; Tosaki, T.; Sawada, T.; Nakanishi, H.; Hirota, A. (2010). "Molecular Gas in the Early Stage of Interacting Galaxies: The NGC 4567/8 Pair". Galaxy Wars: Stellar Populations and Star Formation in Interacting Galaxies. 423: 26. Bibcode:2010ASPC..423...26K.
^Perlmutter, S.; Pennypacker, C. (1990). "Supernova 1990B in NGC 4568". International Astronomical Union Circular (4949): 1. Bibcode:1990IAUC.4949....1P.
^"SN1990B". Transient Name Server. IAU. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
^Monard, L. A. G.; Li, W. (2004). "Supernovae 2004bz, 2004ca, 2004cb, 2004cc". International Astronomical Union Circular (8350): 2. Bibcode:2004IAUC.8350....2M.
^"SN2004cc". Transient Name Server. IAU. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
^"SN2020fqv". Transient Name Server. IAU. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
^"SN2023ijd". Transient Name Server. IAU. Retrieved 6 December 2024.