NGC 2442 and NGC 2443 are two parts of a single intermediate spiral galaxy, located approximately 60 million light-years distant from Earth in the southern constellation of Volans, the flying fish (which can practically only be seen from the southern hemisphere) . Popularly known as the Meathook Galaxy, this peculiar system was discovered by the British astronomer John Herschel on December 23, 1834.
It is 75,000 light-years in diameter and features two dusty spiral arms extending from a pronounced central bar giving it a hooked appearance, hence its nickname.
Why is it so asymmetrical and irregular? Probably the result of a close encounter with a smaller galaxy.
According to ESA experts, "The SN 2015F supernova explosion was created by a white dwarf star. The white dwarf was part of a binary star system and was pulling mass from its companion, eventually becoming too greedy and taking on more than it could handle. This threw the star out of balance and triggered uncontrolled nuclear fusion that eventually led to an intensely violent supernova explosion. "
