LARGE FORMAT. Superb view of "Stephan's Quintet". Visible in - Lot 239

LARGE FORMAT. Superb view of "Stephan's Quintet". Visible in the constellation Pegasus. Discovered by astronomer Edouard Stephan in 1877. At the time, however, he reported the discovery of "new nebulae", the concept of other galaxies beyond our own Milky Way having only been formalized in the 1920s. Only four galaxies of the quintet initially discovered are physically linked. Three of these galaxies have distorted shapes, elongated spiral arms and long gaseous tidal tails containing star clusters, evidence of their close encounter. These interactions triggered a frenzy of star birth in the central pair of galaxies. The four gravity-bound galaxies will merge into a single large galaxy in several million years' time. Circa 2000. Vintage chromogenic print. Reference on front. Label on back. 50.8 x 40.6CM with margins.