Tidal interaction within NGC 520

Short exposure photographs in blue and near infrared light of the peculiar object NGC 520 reveal features not seen on limiting plates that suggest a new interpretation of its structure. The southern part of the object resembles a spherical galaxy that is approximately bisected by a large and very opaque dust lane. The northern part seems a comet-shaped galaxy with a near stellar nucleus. The presence of these structures is more consistent with a tidal interaction between two galaxies than with an explosive model.