When Galaxies Collide

Apr 24, 2008 at 9:57 AM
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To celebrate the 18th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, today NASA released a set of 59 images of colliding galaxies. Galactic collisions are thought by astronomers to create new episodes of star formation, because the interactions of the galaxies initiate strong gravitational effecrts that draw together and collapse galactic dust clouds, which are the nurseries of new stars.

If only we had faster-than-light propulsion so we could visit the stars and see these events up close, instead of being anchored to this rock.