NGC 7252 is a peculiar galaxy resulting from an interaction between two galaxies that started a billion years ago. It is located 220 million light years away in the constellation Aquarius. It is also called Atoms for Peace Galaxy, a nickname which comes from its loop-like structure, made of stars, that resembles a classic diagram of an electron orbiting an atomic nucleus.
Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image of NGC 7252
Long exposure by the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope showing NGC 7252's extended unusual shape, the result of a collision of two galaxies.
Aquarius is an equatorial constellation of the zodiac, between Capricornus and Pisces. Its name is Latin for "water-carrier" or "cup-carrier", and its old astronomical symbol is (♒︎), a representation of water. Aquarius is one of the oldest of the recognized constellations along the zodiac. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It is found in a region often called the Sea due to its profusion of constellations with watery associations such as Cetus the whale, Pisces the fish, and Eridanus the river.
A representation of Aquarius printed in 1825 as part of Urania's Mirror (including a now-obsolete constellation, Ballon Aerostatique south of it)
The constellation Aquarius as it can be seen by the naked eye
The green bean galaxy J2240 lies in the constellation of Aquarius
