When Galaxies Collide

This just-snapped image shows a pair of galaxies in a state of complete abandon: one galaxy (unceremoniously called "ESO 510-G13") has met and mingled with another, and they're in the process of "spawning" new stars. And when two galaxies collide, they merge into a giant disc whose edges quiver like teenagers in love. By contrast, normal galaxies -- like our own Milky Way -- have a nice clean edge when viewed from the side. They're well put together, unruffled by the wants of their celestial neighbors, according to the Space Telescope Science Institute. The commingling galaxies are about 150 million light years away in the Hydra constellation; it can be seen because of light provided from the galaxy's "bright, smooth central bulge," the institute said. On the right side of the galaxy, scattered amidst the interstellar dust, there are a few bright bluish clouds. "This shows that hot, young stars are being formed in the disc," according to the STSI, which is enough to make one blush.