When Galaxies Collide: Early Merger

A very wide 130,000 light-years separates the two galaxies in the object known as 2MASXJ09133888-1019196.

But they are caught in one another’s gravitational spell and have begun a slow dance that will one day result in a merger.

The galaxies are about 700 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra.

Image: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)