Cosmic Collisions Galore
Close encounters between galaxies sometimes end in grand mergers and overflowing sites of new star birth as the colliding galaxies morph into wondrous new shapes. These views of colliding galaxies dramatically illustrate how galaxy collisions produce a remarkable variety of intricate structures in never-before-seen detail. Astronomers estimate that only one out of a thousand galaxies in the nearby universe is in the act of colliding. However, galaxy mergers were much more common long ago when they were closer together, because the expanding universe was smaller.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
- X
https://science.nasa.gov/image-detail/amf-2f24c3d6-d36f-414e-8d4c-1c2e230b0dfc/
Image CreditNASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
Size6000x4500px
