Colliding galaxies

The universe is filled with glorious objects, and understanding the science adds to their fascination. In this image from the Hubble Space Telescope two galaxies collide.

"The stars in the two galaxies, cataloged as NGC 4038 and NGC 4039, very rarely collide in the course of the ponderous cataclysm, lasting hundreds of millions of years. But their large clouds of molecular gas and dust often do, triggering furious episodes of star formation near the center of the cosmic wreckage."

 

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