Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
Arp 299 consists of a pair of galaxies, dubbed IC 694 and NGC 3690, which made a close pass some 700 million years ago. As a result of this interaction, the system underwent a fierce burst of star formation similar to what’s happening in COS-87259. Over the past roughly 15 years, six supernovae have popped off in the outer reaches of the system, making Arp 299 a distinguished supernova factory.