Team ShaRA, taken from Rio Hurtado, Chile
The Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/9) are one of the most famous examples of interacting galaxies. In 1972, Alar and Jüri Toomre became the first researchers to use computers to simulate galaxy interactions; their success in replicating the dramatic tidal tails of the Antennae helped convince astronomers that galaxies do in fact merge. This image comprises 17.7 hours of exposure on a 1-meter scope in the Atacama Desert. The final image is a composite of the members’ individual processing efforts weighted by a vote amongst the 21 team members.