Halton Arp - The Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies

The Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies

Arp compiled a catalog of unusual galaxies titled Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, which was first published in 1966. Arp realized that astronomers understood little about how galaxies change over time, which led him to work on this project. This atlas was intended to provide images that would give astronomers data from which they could study the evolution of galaxies. Arp later used the atlas as evidence in his debate on quasi-stellar objects (QSOs).

Based on its citation by other astronomers, Arp's atlas is recognized now as an excellent compilation of interacting and merging galaxies. Many objects in the atlas are primarily referred to by their Arp number. Many of these objects (particularly Arp 220) are also used as spectral templates for studying high-redshift galaxies.

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