NASA’s Hubble Photographs Two Galaxies ‘Playing’ With Each Other

NASA and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hubble Space Telescope was able to capture a stunning image of two galaxies interacting with one another. According to the space agencies, these two galaxies will eventually collide and merge into one.

The two galaxies are known as UGC 2369N and UFC 2369S. Collectively known as UGC 2369, the two galaxies are located within the Aries constellation and are about 424 million light-years from Earth.

In the latest image taken by Hubble, the two galaxies can be seen “playing” with each other as they get pulled closer to each other due to their own gravitational forces. As this happens, a bridge composed of various cosmic materials and bodies can be seen forming in between the two galaxies.

“The pair of strange, luminescent creatures at play in this image are actually galaxies – realms of millions upon millions of stars,” the ESA said in a statement. “The galaxies are interacting, meaning that their mutual gravitational attraction is pulling them closer and closer together and distorting their shapes in the process.”

“A tenuous bridge of gas, dust and stars can be seen connecting the two galaxies, created when they pulled material out into space across the diminishing divide between them,” the agency added.

According to the ESA, galaxies interacting with one another is a common phenomenon in space. The Milky Way galaxy, which is Earth’s home, is believed to have interacted with smaller dwarf galaxies in the past. This led to the Milky Way devouring the smaller galaxies.

Eventually though, Milky Way will collide and merge with another large galaxy. Scientists predicted that Milky Way will collide with its neighbor Andromeda. Once this happens, the newly formed galaxy will be known as Milkomeda.

“Interaction with others is a common event in the history of most galaxies,” the ESA stated. “For galaxies like the Milky Way, the majority of these interactions involve significantly smaller so-called dwarf galaxies.”

“But every few billion years, a more momentous even can occur,” the agency added. “For our home galaxy, the next big even will take place in about four billion years, when it will collide with its bigger neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy.”