Hubble captures spectacular head-on collision between two galaxies

The Hubble Space Telescope, a project of international cooperation between U.S. space agency NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), has captured a spectacular head-on collision between two galaxies, fuelling the unusual triangular-shaped star-birthing frenzy (pictured above).

The interacting galaxy duo - spiral galaxy NGC 2445 at right and NGC 2444 at left - is collectively called Arp 143. According to NASA, the pair is waging a cosmic tug-of-war, which the latter appears to be winning.

Sharing the image, NASA wrote, "astronomers suggest that the galaxies passed through each other, igniting the uniquely shaped star-formation firestorm in NGC 2445, where thousands of stars are bursting to life on the right-hand side of the image."

A spectacular head-on collision between two galaxies fueled the unusual triangular-shaped star-birthing frenzy seen on the right. Astronomers suggest that the galaxies passed through each other, igniting the uniquely shaped star-formation firestorm seen. https://t.co/UsFtjCcOkm pic.twitter.com/VKgzBOE0do

— NASA 360 (@NASA360) April 17, 2022

Deployed by the space shuttle Discovery in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope is one of NASA's longest-living and most valuable space-based observatories. Equipped with powerful science instruments like the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), the observatory peers deeply into space. Recently, Hubble spotted the farthest star ever seen in the universe.