Despite its gargantuan proportions, UGC 2885 shares striking similarities with the Milky Way. Its central supermassive black hole remains dormant, refraining from consuming matter from its surroundings. Additionally, the Godzilla Galaxy has not devoured any neighboring satellite galaxies. Consequently, UGC 2885 contains a relatively low amount of gas essential for new star formation, resulting in a star formation rate comparable to the Milky Way, though it is considerably larger.
The origin of UGC 2885's enormous size has long puzzled astronomers. Typically, colossal galaxies emerge from the merger of smaller galaxies. However, the Godzilla Galaxy resides within an isolated region of space, devoid of any sizable galaxies nearby. Researchers have theorized that UGC 2885 gradually accumulated intergalactic gas, primarily hydrogen, over time. This hypothesis accounts for the galaxy's current quiescent state and its low star formation rate.
As you marvel at images of UGC 2885, bear in mind that the entire field of view is peppered with stars from the Milky Way. These stars are easily distinguishable by their bright appearance and the four perpendicular lines extending from them. Thus, the luminous point sources visible within the galaxy's disc are actually stars from our Milky Way that align with UGC 2885 in our line of sight.
Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble.
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