Hubble Image: Chance Alignment Between Galaxies Mimics Cosmic Collision

Posted on June 18, 2012

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows a rare view of a pair of overlapping galaxies, called NGC 3314. The two galaxies appear as if they are colliding, but they are actually separated by tens of millions of lightyears.

The galaxies are also moving in different directions. The pair of galaxies lie roughly 140 million light-years from Earth, in the direction of the southern hemisphere constellation Hydra.

You can see images of the galaxies here on HubbleSite.

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THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE