Two collision galaxies are 424 million light-years from Earth

Hubble Space Telescope captures a pair of galaxies that are about to merge to form a new galaxy called UGC 2369.

The two galaxies looked like they were dancing due to gravity pulling them close together, Space reported on August 18. Scientists named the galaxy pair UGC 2369 , about 424 million light-years from Earth. The light year is the distance traveled by light in a year, nearly 10 trillion kilometers.

Hubble pair of UGC 2369 galaxy telescope shots.(Photo: NASA / ESA).

These two cosmic stars, gas and dust collects so closely that faint bridges appear in the space between them. Interaction with other galaxies is a common occurrence in the history of most galaxies, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). For large galaxies like the Milky Way, most interactions involve smaller objects called dwarf galaxies.

However, every few billion years, a more significant event may occur. For example, the Milky Way will collide with Andromeda, the giant "neighbor" galaxy. It is likely that solar-like star systems are not significantly affected, but if viewed from a distance, you will see two galaxies gradually merging for 4 billion years. ESA named this new galaxy Milkomeda .

Nearly 30 years of operation, the Hubble Space Telescope captures many valuable images of galaxies in the universe. Some photos even help scientists "look back" in the past, showing objects formed just after the Big Bang, an explosion that marked the birth of the universe 13.8 billion years ago.