![Six Hubble snapshots, each showing a galaxy captured at a different redshift/time period. The time periods are 11.3 billion years ago (z=2.8); 10.9 billion years (z=2.4); 10.3 billion years (z+2.0); 8.9 billion years (z=1.3); 6.1 billion years (z=.65) and 3.1 billion years (z=.26). The galaxies start out small and indistinct and gain size and definition, becoming spiral galxies as we get closer to our current time.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image2-hubblemilkywayp1511bw-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Six galaxy snapshots
These six Hubble snapshots show how galaxies similar in mass to our Milky Way evolved over time. Milky Way-like galaxies grow larger in size and in stellar mass over billions of years.
Credits: NASA/ESA/C. Papovich (Texas A&M)/H. Ferguson (STScI)/S. Fabe
Image CreditNASA/ESA/C. Papovich (Texas A&M)/H. Ferguson (STScI)/S. Fabe
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