Spiral structure and superassociations of young stars in the NGC 4038/39 peculiar system

The results of photometry of NGC 4038/39 peculiar galaxies pair in the 3600-7400 AA wave range are presented. The galaxies photographs are given. The galaxies pair loop and arc consist of bright clusters. The photometry results as well as data of Vorontsov-Velyaminov, Burbidge, Shakhbazian, Rubin and others studies are analyzed. The following conclusions are obtained: galaxy nuclei are double: in each of the nuclei one component is blue, the other is red. Along the NGC 4038 ring and NGC 4039 arc not less than 24 superassociations of blue stars, are located. Large, bright, dense and massive gas nebulae are related to superassociations. The highest brightness in a visible wavelength range they have in the Hsub(α)+[NII] emission. The gas nebulae NGC 4038/39 are related to dense dust clouds. The ionized hydrogen mass in NGC 4038/39 galaxies constitutes about 13% of the neutral hydrogen mass and in the Galaxy it equals approximately 5%