Tadpole Galaxy and Tadpole Tail

The Tadpole Galaxy, also known as Arp 188, is a fragmented, barred spiral galaxy located 400 million light-years from Earth toward the northern constellation Draco. Its most dramatic feature is a 280,000-light-year-long trail of bright blue star clusters called the Tadpole Tail.

A larger galaxy is thought to have passed close to the Tadpole Galaxy (from Earth's perspective, left to right), and the gravitational forces of the two galaxies were likely to have swept part of the Tadpole Galaxy outward. During this encounter, the gravitational forces stretched out the spiral galaxy's stars, gas, and dust, creating this striking tail.