A Quick Look at Arp 299
About 140 million light years from Earth, two galaxies are colliding in Arp 299.
As they merge, shock waves rumble through each galaxy and trigger waves of new star formation.
Some of these stars are very large and live brief and violent lives.
Chandra finds over a dozen systems in Arp 299 that give off large amounts of X-rays called “ULXs”.
Scientists these ULXs either contain a neutron star or black hole pulling material from a companion star.