Arp 214 - NGC 3718 and NGC 3729

Arp 214 is an interacting galaxy system from the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies compiled by Halton Arp, located in the constellation Ursa Major, and consists primarily of the strongly distorted spiral galaxy NGC 3718 and its companion galaxy NGC 3729. The distance to Earth is estimated at about 47 to 52 million light-years.

NGC 3718 has a diameter of approximately 110,000 light-years, making it comparable in size to our Milky Way. The galaxy exhibits a strikingly warped dust lane and a strongly deformed spiral structure caused by gravitational interactions with its neighboring galaxy as well as smaller companion galaxies. These interactions generate tidal forces that redistribute gas and stars and influence the long-term evolution of both galaxies. The galaxy also hosts an active galactic nucleus at its center.

Arp 214 is considered a classic example of how gravitational interactions can visibly alter the morphology of galaxies.

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