ARP 273, California

Arp 273 is a striking interacting galaxy system in the constellation Andromeda, composed primarily of the spiral galaxy UGC 1810 and its smaller companion UGC 1813, located about 300 million light-years from Earth. The larger galaxy’s disk has been dramatically distorted by gravitational interaction, forming a rose-like pattern of tidal arms that gives the system its popular nickname, the Rose Galaxies. Tidal forces have triggered intense star formation in the warped spiral arms, visible as bright blue star clusters and glowing knots of gas, while faint tidal streams trace the ongoing exchange of material between the galaxies. Arp 273 is a classic example of how close galactic encounters can radically reshape structure and ignite bursts of star formation.