A new image taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope reveals three galaxies that are on a collision course.
The galaxies located in the constellation Bootes will eventually merge to form one larger galaxy. In the process, these galaxies will lose their spiral structure due to the gravitational interaction between them.
While galaxy collisions are common, this one is rare because the individual galaxies involved are currently in the process of 'giving birth' to new stars.
The images of the three galaxies were taken with the help of Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys to help astronomers gain insight into the formation of the most massive galaxies in the universe.
The trio of colliding galaxies have collectively been named SDSSCGB 10189. As seen in the image, the galaxies already appear distorted, with strands of gas and dust connecting them. Galaxies also seem to give off a lot of light.
Experts say the trio of galaxies is considered a relatively rare combination because they are located within 50,000 light years of each other. A distance of 50 thousand light years may sound like a long way, but in cosmic terms it is not. This distance makes the three galaxies appear to be close neighbors.
Our neighboring galaxy is farther away. For example, Andromeda, which is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way, is located more than 2.5 million light years from Earth.