The Hubble Space Telescope has recorded a stunning image of two merging galaxies in the VV-689 system that appear to be shaped like wings. The two galaxies are currently in the middle of a collision and have been nicknamed Angel Wing. The interaction between the two galaxies is almost symmetrical, hence appearing to resemble wings.
This is a significant development because unlike other galactical alignments, that only “appear” to overlap because of the angle they are viewed from on the earth, these two galaxies in the VV-689 system are actually colliding.
The image was recorded from Hubble observations inspecting “Zoo Gems” -- interesting galaxies under the Galaxy Zoo citizen science project. The crowdsourced astronomy project takes the help of volunteers to explore galaxies.
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched by NASA in 1990 and is named in honour of Edwin Hubble, a revered American astronomer of the early 20th century. The telescope is a space-based observatory and has made significant observations related to interstellar objects, including moons around Pluto and a comet crashing into Jupiter. The telescope has now been in operation for over thirty years.
