Irregular Galaxy Ngc 4485 Playing Cards

The irregular galaxy NGC 4485, located 25 million light-years away in the northern constellation Canes Venatici. The right side of the galaxy is ablaze with star formation, shown in the plethora of young blue stars and star-incubating pinkish nebulas. The left side contains hints of the galaxy's previous spiral structure, which, at one time, was undergoing normal galactic evolution. The larger culprit galaxy, NGC 4490, is off the bottom of the frame. The two galaxies sideswiped each other millions of years ago and are now 24,000 light-years apart. The gravitational tug-of-war between them created rippling patches of higher-density gas and dust within both galaxies. This activity triggered a flurry of star formation.