NGC 4676: When Mice Collide

These two mighty galaxies are pulling each other apart. Known as " The Mice"
because they have such long tails, each spiral galaxy has likely already
passed through the other. They will probably collide again and again until
they coalesce. The long tails are created by the relative difference between
gravitational pulls on the near and far parts of each galaxy. Because the
distances are so large, the cosmic interaction takes place in slow motion --
over hundreds of millions of years. NGC 4676 lies about 300 million light-years
away toward the constellation of Bernice's Hair (Coma Berenices) and are likely
members of the Coma Cluster of Galaxies. The above picture was taken with the Hubble
Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys which is more sensitive and images a
largerfield than previous Hubble cameras. The camera's increased sensitivity has
imaged, serendipitously, galaxies far in the distance scattered about the frame.