{"id":11600,"date":"2026-08-10T04:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T04:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/?p=11600"},"modified":"2026-08-11T11:44:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T11:44:22","slug":"apod-2026-august-10-three-galaxy-pairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/?p=11600","title":{"rendered":"APOD: 2026 August 10 \u2013 Three Galaxy Pairs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-secondary-navigation\">\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-navigation-wrapper z-top width-100 padding-0\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-secondary-navigation width-full border-bottom-1px text-center hds-color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-hdsnav\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"hds-secondary-nav-mobile-button display-flex tablet:display-flex desktop:display-none width-full flex-align-center bg-carbon-90 border-color-carbon-80 color-spacesuit-white\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"hds-secondary-nav-track\"><span>APOD<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-nav-track grid-container grid-container-extrawide padding-0 tablet:padding-x-3 desktop:padding-x-2 hds-secondary-navigation-has-breadcrumbs\">\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-navigation-breadcrumbs display-none tablet:display-none desktop:display-flex flex-align-center\">\n<nav class=\"usa-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol class=\"usa-breadcrumb__list\">\n<li class=\"usa-breadcrumb__list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/\" class=\"usa-breadcrumb__link\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Science<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-breadcrumb__list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/apod-index\/\" class=\"usa-breadcrumb__link\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>APOD<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-breadcrumb__list-item usa-current\" aria-current=\"page\"><span>APOD: 2026 August 10 \u2013\u2026<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-navigation-menu-items\">\n<nav>\n<ul class=\"usa-nav__primary usa-accordion flex-justify-center margin-0\">\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Today\u2019s APOD<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/archive\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Archive<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/submit\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Submissions<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/apod-index\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Index<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/apod-search\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Search<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/apod-calendar\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Calendar<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/feed\/apod-basic\/\" rel=\"noopener\">RSS<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/apod-education\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Education<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/apod-about\/\" rel=\"noopener\">About<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\" href=\"https:\/\/asterisk.apod.com\/viewtopic.php?t=45003\" rel=\"noopener\">Discuss<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-navigation-menu-spacer\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media-detail-hero nasa-gb-align-wide width-full maxw-full margin-y-5 desktop:margin-y-7 padding-x-3 media-detail-hero--suppress-inner-media-caption hds-module alignwide wp-block-nasa-blocks-media-detail-hero\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block padding-x-0\">\n<p class=\"label margin-bottom-1\">APOD<\/p>\n<p class=\"heading-22 margin-top-0 margin-bottom-2\">APOD: 2026 August 10 \u2013 Three Galaxy Pairs<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-md margin-top-0 margin-bottom-3 media-detail-hero__subtext\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/apod\/archive\/\">Discover the cosmos!<\/a> Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"media-detail-hero__media margin-bottom-6\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-smd-block-image-rollover smd-image-rollover hds-module hds-media smd-image-rollover--clickable-indicators\">\n<div class=\"smd-image-rollover__alignment margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-full\">\n<div class=\"smd-image-rollover__frame\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2784\" height=\"3436\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/august\/Three3GalaxyPairs_Sampaio_2784.jpg?w=2784&amp;h=3436&amp;fit=clip&amp;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"smd-image-rollover__image smd-image-rollover__image--primary\" alt=\"Three galaxy pairs are arranged vertically in the same field of view..\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"1185\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/august\/Three3GalaxyPairs_Sampaio_960_annotated.jpg?w=960&amp;h=1185&amp;fit=clip&amp;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"smd-image-rollover__image smd-image-rollover__image--secondary\" alt=\"Three galaxy pairs are arranged vertically in the same field of view..\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"toggle-button-container padding-1\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"toggle-view-before-button margin-right-1px is-active\"><span class=\"toggle-view-before-label\">Unlabeled<\/span><\/button><button type=\"button\" class=\"toggle-view-after-button margin-left-1px\"><span class=\"toggle-view-after-label\">Labeled<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"display-48 margin-top-0 margin-bottom-3\">Three Galaxy Pairs<\/h1>\n<div class=\"grid-row media-detail-hero__content-row\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<p class=\"p-md margin-0 media-detail-hero__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Explanation:<\/strong> Each of these pairs of galaxies is different. The two <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/galaxies\/\" rel=\"noopener\">galaxies<\/a> at the top are likely <a href=\"https:\/\/c8.alamy.com\/comp\/2BC0K5D\/two-cats-sitting-in-safe-social-distance-separated-by-an-open-drainage-channel-in-the-street-with-natural-stone-paving-in-a-greek-village-cyclades-2BC0K5D.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">not interacting<\/a>, at least presently. However, the top galaxy with the blue stripe, <a href=\"https:\/\/apod.nasa.gov\/apod\/ap990510.html\" rel=\"noopener\">NGC 4650A<\/a>, is a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Polar-ring_galaxy\" rel=\"noopener\">polar ring galaxy<\/a> and may be the result of a past <a href=\"https:\/\/apod.nasa.gov\/apod\/ap130514.html\" rel=\"noopener\">galaxy collision<\/a>. The two galaxies in the middle of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DZIts5qua6c\/\" rel=\"noopener\">featured image<\/a> appear like they could be <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tidal_force\" rel=\"noopener\">interacting gravitationally<\/a> \u2014 but their <a href=\"https:\/\/ui.adsabs.harvard.edu\/abs\/1993A%26AS..100...47G\/abstract\" rel=\"noopener\">relative speeds<\/a> make this unlikely. Of these two, the larger galaxy, <a href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NGC_4650\" rel=\"noopener\">NGC 4650<\/a>, is a <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/galaxies\/types\/\" rel=\"noopener\">spiral galaxy<\/a> with a <a href=\"https:\/\/apod.nasa.gov\/apod\/ap260517.html\" rel=\"noopener\">bright bar of stars<\/a> across its center. The two galaxies at the bottom are <a href=\"https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ1gT_9ubUKcbFl8gNYAM1qF3muKpNh0HFlE9rl1cLFC-dJH1jh-WTH-aE&amp;s=10\" rel=\"noopener\">actively interacting<\/a>. Possibly in a billion years or so, NGC 4622A and NGC 4622B will <a href=\"https:\/\/apod.nasa.gov\/apod\/ap220606.html\" rel=\"noopener\">merge<\/a> and become one single galaxy. All of these galaxies are likely members of the larger <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Centaurus_Cluster\" rel=\"noopener\">Centaurus Galaxy Cluster<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tomorrow\u2019s picture: <\/strong>many moons\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"display-none desktop:display-block desktop:grid-col-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 margin-top-3 desktop:margin-top-0\">\n<table class=\"media-detail-hero__meta-table width-full\">\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"media-detail-hero__meta-row\">\n<th scope=\"row\" class=\"label padding-y-1\">Date:<\/th>\n<td class=\"p-sm padding-y-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAugust 10, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"media-detail-hero__meta-row\">\n<th scope=\"row\" class=\"label padding-y-1\">Credit &#038; Copyright:<\/th>\n<td class=\"p-sm padding-y-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rafael.astrofotografia\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Rafael Sampaio<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"media-detail-hero__meta-row\">\n<th scope=\"row\" class=\"label padding-y-1\">Authors &#038; editors:<\/th>\n<td class=\"p-sm padding-y-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRobert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, Keighley Rockcliffe\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"media-detail-hero__meta-row\">\n<th scope=\"row\" class=\"label padding-y-1\">A service of:<\/th>\n<td class=\"p-sm padding-y-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.gsfc.nasa.gov\/astrophysics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ASD<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers\/goddard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GSFC<\/a>,<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/learn\/about-science-activation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA Science Activation<\/a> &#038; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michigan Tech. U.<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-wide nasa-button-link padding-y-1 padding-x-0 hds-module alignwide wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-link\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/random-apod\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"button-primary button-primary-md link-external-false\" aria-label=\"Random APOD Generator\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"line-height-alt-1\">Random APOD Generator<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"height:1px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-module alignwide wp-block-smd-block-next-prev\">\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles\">\n            <a class=\"smd-next-prev__prev\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/image-article\/apod\/apod-2026-august-9-contemplating-the-sun\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-next-prev-nav-arrow hds-next-prev-arrow-prev\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__content\">\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__prev-label\">\n                        Yesterday&#8217;s Image                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__prev\">\n                        APOD: 2026 August 9 \u2013 Contemplating the Sun                    <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>            <\/a><br \/>\n            <a class=\"smd-next-prev__next smd-next-prev__disabled\" href=\"#\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__content\">\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__next-label\">\n                        Tomorrow&#8217;s Image                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__next\">\n                                            <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-next-prev-nav-arrow hds-next-prev-arrow-next\"><\/div>\n<p>            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/image-article\/apod\/apod-2026-august-10-three-galaxy-pairs\/\" target=\"_blank\">Read the original article<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 10 \u2013\u2026 Today\u2019s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss \u00a0 APOD APOD: 2026 August 10 \u2013 Three Galaxy Pairs 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. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11629,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11600"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11630,"href":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11600\/revisions\/11630"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsboxed.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}