Galaxies eating...Galaxies???

Although Galaxies are cannibals, you can learn a lot from them. According to observations made by the European Space Agency on MSNBC's science page, the galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128) was seen with the remains of a cosmic merger right between the eliptical galaxy Centaurus A, and a smaller galaxy.

The giant galaxy, Centaurus A (NGC 5128) is the nearest giant,
elliptical
galaxy, at a distance of about 11 million light-years. The galaxy
hosts a
supermassive black hole that is 200 million times the mass of the
sun, or 50
times the mass of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

More importantly was the technique used to obtain these images. The New
Technology Telescope (NTT) allows scientist to observe space with a sharper view
and without dust. This is great in allowing scientist to learn how stars are
formed inside of galaxies.

According to co-author Jesse Alves:

These are the first steps in the development of a new technique that has the
potential to trace giant clouds of gas in other galaxies at high resolution and
in a cost-effective way. Knowing how these giant clouds form and evolve is
to understand how stars form in galaxies.

I think that this will allow scientist to gain more knowledge of not only how stars are formed but what natural occurences happen in the universe. An understanding of other galaxies will help us learn the fate of our own galaxy which is coming closer and closer. Maybe these telescopes will help us find another suitable home. I mean that is what space travel is about anyway...right?