Figure 13-45 Merging Galaxies This object, NGC 6240, in the constellation Ophi-uchus, is the result of two spiral galaxies in the process of merging. The widespread blue-green area reveals that the collision between the two galaxies has triggered an immense burst of star formation. Inset: The Chandra X-ray Observatory shows that at the heart of this system are two supermassive black holes, one from each of the original galaxies. Within a few hundred million years, these black holes are expected to merge into a single more massive black hole.