                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2026 September 4

                      Nā ʻUhane Māhoe Huki Pū i ke Ola
      Image Credit: International Gemini Observatory / NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
      Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini
                          Observatory/NSF NOIRLab),
   T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), D. de Martin
                          & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)

   Explanation: Nā ʻUhane Māhoe Huki Pū i ke Ola, is the Hawaiian name
   given to this image of a pair of spiral galaxies locked in a mutual
   gravitational embrace. Some 200 million light-years distant toward the
   high flying constellation Pegasus their spectacular, galactic scale
   merger is captured in sharp detail in the image from the 8.1 meter
   Gemini North telescope on Maunakea, Hawai‘i. The galaxy pair, known as
   NGC 7253 and Arp 278, was chosen as a target, researched, and given a
   Hawaiian name by high school students in the joint Gemini Observatory
   and University of Hawaiʻi Project Hōkūlani internship program. The name
   translates to "The Twin Spirits Pulling Together Creating Life". That's
   both culturally and astronomically appropriate for galaxy collisions
   that trigger a cosmic maelstrom of star formation from galactic
   reservoirs of elemental building blocks of life. These merging galaxies
   are found within a region of Pegasus identified as the Hawaiian
   navigational constellation Ka Lupe o Kawelo.

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                     Tomorrow's picture: chasing shadows
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

