Ground-based image of Arp 16, also known as M66.

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Ground-based image of Arp 16, also known as M66.

M66 is a member of the Leo Triplet. NGC 3628, the galaxy in the upper left, likely had an encounter with M66 a few hundred million years ago, creating a dramatic tail-like plume.
Gravitational interactions between the three galaxies may also be responsible for M66’s distorted shape and prominent spiral arms.

Credit: Fig 1, G. Wu et al. (2022)
Source: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022A%26A...658A..25W/abstract

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