NASA's Hubble Space Telescope was able to see a display of "clashing galaxies."
The iconic image from the space telescope appeared to be a bizarre astronomical event, but the scientists have an explanation for this.
According to the international space agency, what happened among the three galaxies was the so-called "gravitational tug-of-war."
Galactic Siblings Have a Strange Quarrel
In a tweet by NASA Hubble on Saturday, July 31, the galactic siblings could "fight," too.
Based on the image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, there's a tail-like image that is attached to a galaxy found in the right part. The said tail is known as the "tidal tail," which appears when the galaxies' gases and other components escape during the clash.
To give you an idea of the actual size of the Hubble Space Telescope, here is a clear reference. This is not the ordinary telescope that we could carry and use to stargaze a planet. This massive observatory can be compared to the size of an enormous school bus, according to Mashable.
At the moment, the Hubble Space Telescope has been used by NASA for more than 30 years. It has taken famous photos in space including the Apr 195 encased in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, Phys.org reported. This will show you to various galaxies that are existing out there in space.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Problems
For 30 years, the space agency has been depending on the capability of the old astronomical equipment to spot the best events in space.
In its declining state, the space telescope has been subjected to repair due to its old parts and decreasing functionality.
Over the past few months, NASA has been dealing with the potential fix for the space telescope.
According to the team behind the Hubble Telescope, the instrument could extend its service to the space agency for the following years to come. The legendary telescope will also collaborate with other telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope, which faced an imminent delay in its launch date.
When the Hubble Space Telescope encountered problems on its computer, NASA prepared for the moment that it would be "irreparable" one day.
The succeeding months have been difficult for the space agency since they experimented with the possible solutions for the problem yet there was no success.
This month, a miracle happened to the Hubble team. The space telescope has been brought back to life. NASA followed the proposed fix to the problem by switching to its backup computer.
Now, the Hubble Space Telescope is collecting data once again.
The Famous Milky Way Galaxy
Squabbling galactic siblings are commonplace in astronomy.
The Milky Way galaxy, which is the most popular among them looks like an empty region of gases, stars, and debris. Little do we know that this huge galaxy has already swallowed other small galaxies.
For the past 12 billion years, the Milky Way galaxy was reportedly merging with other galactic siblings.
Related Article : NASA Hubble Telescope Witnesses an Explosion of a Star--Scientists Explain this 'Unusual' Supernova
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Written by Joseph Henry