HUBBLE ATLAS
The Cartwheel Galaxy: Result of a Bull’s-Eye Collision — image from the Hubble Space Telescope

Galaxies

The Cartwheel Galaxy: Result of a Bull’s-Eye Collision

November 29, 1995 · NASA

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A spectacular head-on collision between a spiral galaxy and a smaller intruder sends out a ripple of energy that triggers a firestorm of new starbirth, forming a dazzling ring-like structure. (Image Released: January 1995)