'Taffy Galaxies' Collide, Form Star-Bridge

The Taffy Galaxies, UGC 12914 and UGC 12915, collided head-on about 25-30 million years ago, leaving behind a bridge of highly turbulent gas devoid of significant star formation. The bridge is composed of narrow molecular filaments and clumps of hydrogen gas, resembling taffy being stretched as the pair slowly separates. The Gemini North telescope captured this fascinating feature, showcasing the complex web structure between the two galaxies. The turbulence of the stellar material throughout the bridge is now prohibiting the collection and compression of gas that are required to form new stars.