UGC 6697 has a particular morphology. It is considered an edge-on galaxy and such has a long tidal tail with blue color and low surface brightness which stretches out northwest.[5] This is in fact caused by dynamic pressure. It occurs when the galaxy plunges forward into the cluster, the pressure acts on the galaxy and penetrates through high speeds causing intracluster medium. In the process, the cooler gas is compressed and expelled from the galaxy's edge thus forming a trail.[6] The gas trail extends 100 kpc which measures 326,000 light-years in diameter.[7] In the long run, the dynamic pressure will eventually strip the gas from the galaxy, rending it an anemic galaxy.[6][8]
According to observations from Chandra X-ray Observatory, it shows that more massive new stars have formed in compressed gas regions of UGC 6697 due to the result of increased dynamic stripping. These, however will explode into supernovas over the next 10 million years which its heat produces x-rays and optical light.[6]
Companion galaxy
UGC 6697 has one companion galaxy which is CGCG 097-087N or 2MASX J11434983+1958343.[9] It is located 379 million light-years away[9] and also shows signs of distortion caused by dynamic pressure. Further studies show that the two galaxies might have interacted in the past.[7]
^Amram, P.; Gavazzi, G.; Marcelin, M.; Boselli, A.; Vílchez, J. M.; Iglesias-Paramo, J.; Tarenghi, M. (2002), Sauvage, Marc; Stazińska, Grażyna; Schaerer, Daniel (eds.), "The Velocity Field of UGC 6697 Revisited", The Evolution of Galaxies: II — Basic Building Blocks, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 401–404, doi:10.1007/978-94-017-3311-3_90, ISBN978-94-017-3311-3, retrieved 2024-04-27