Birth

A stunning new image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows three galaxies heading for a collision and merger. While galactic collisions are fairly common, this one is rare because each of the trio of galaxies is currently in the throes of birthing new stars. The three galaxies, seen in the constellation of Boötes, will eventually merge to form a single large galaxy. In the process, the spiral structure the galaxies now exhibit will be wiped out as a result of gravitational interactions between the trio.