Hubble telescope captures surprising image of galaxies “in full dispute”

(CNN) – A rivalry between galaxies unfolds millions of light years away, and the Hubble Space Telescope captured it in a stunning image.

About 747 million light-years from Earth, a trio of galaxies are immersed in a gravitational tug of war that was captured by Hubble by observing their interaction in the constellation Lynx.

This unique system of galaxies, referred to as Arp 195, appears in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. The atlas is a catalog of unusual galaxies from across the universe that was compiled and published by astronomer Halton Arp in 1966.

Many of the strangely wonderful galaxies that appear in the atlas are interacting and merging, such as Arp 195.

However, Hubble has been able to offer an impressive new view of this galactic trio, including its characteristic whirlpool and elongated streak, which somewhat resembles a bubble emerging from a wand of bubbles.

The famous space telescope has a tight schedule of observations, so astronomers do not waste their precious time, especially since Hubble has been around for 31 years and continues to perform well, despite recent problems. left out of service for more than a month.

Occasionally, Hubble can take additional images, such as the Arp 195 image, between long observing campaigns.

These additional observations of distinctive features of the universe provide beautiful images, and can also help astronomers select targets they wish to follow up with new observers to come, such as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled to launch in October. .