NASA's Hubble telescope delivers spectacular images of galaxies.

Extract from ABC News

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By Widia Jalal

Posted 14 hours ago

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Strap in for a cosmic treat because NASA has released a string of stunning images of galaxies.

Captured by the Hubble Telescope, which can see across different wavelengths, these processed images detail the dynamic features found in space. 

From colourful smidges to striking streaks to captivating swirls, here's a gallery of the latest interstellar finds.

A merged galaxy

Using ultraviolet, visible and infrared wavelengths, the Hubble telescope is able to reveal details about galaxy ESO 185-IG013's past.(Supplied: NASA, ESA, and R. Chandar (University of Toledo); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))

Nestled among twinkling orange specks, this luminescent purple shell coated with baby blue swirls depicts an intense burst of star formation. 

The diffused glow around the bright centre is a common telltale sign of galaxy mergers. ESO 185-IG013 sits about 260 million light-years away.

A suspected galaxy encounter 

NASA theorises that the thumb-shaped smudge might have once been a structured spiral.(Supplied: NASA, ESA, and C. Kilpatrick (Northwestern University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))

This dispersion of dust in hues of blue (UGC 3912) signals a distortion of what might have once been a structured spiral galaxy.

NASA explains that when galaxies collide, their stars' dust and gas can be pulled in new paths, altering their shape entirely.

A galactic distortion

These two galaxies are locked in an interaction expected to last tens of millions of years.(Supplied: NASA, ESA, and R. Foley (University of California – Santa Cruz); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))

These twisted brown and blue swirls reveal a gravitational attraction between two galaxies, NGC 5427 and NGC 5426.

A cosmic bridge is seen forming in the lower-right region, which indicates an exchange of gas and dust that will form new stars.

A spinning spiral

Spiral galaxies make up about 10 per cent of all the galaxies in the universe.(Supplied: NASA/ESA/A. Evans (University of Virginia)/Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))

The baseball-like spiral ESO 420-G013 sports a pastel purple core so bright it appears to darken the surrounding galaxy.

Yet the striking nucleus creates a strong contrast against the brown overlay, which is actually whirled filaments of dark dust. 

A sparkling galaxy pair

Hubble is examining if the interactions between the dwarf galaxies will lead to the formation of a star.(Supplied: NASA/ESA/D. Bowen (Princeton University)/Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))

Two galaxies can coexist in the same space without stealing each other's limelight, as this image proves.

Although NGC 5410 and UGC 8932 are 20,000 light-years different in size, the pair share a similar striking streak coated with neon-blue stars.

Faint bridge of stars

Arp 295 is made up of three spiral galaxies.(Supplied: NASA/ESA/J. Dalcanton (University of Washington),R. Windhorst (Arizona State University)/Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))

The faded stream of white that cuts across the image is actually a bridge of stars and gas spanning 250,000 light-years.

In an interaction that's compounded over billions of years, mutual gravity has created a thick dust stream (Arp 295) that might lead to a merger with the Milky Way. 

Side-by-side galaxies

The lenticular galaxy does not have as much gas and dust as the barred spiral galaxy.(Supplied: NASA/ESA/R. Foley (University of California — Santa Cruz)/Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))

Featuring distinct coiled arms, this radiant blue smudge (NGC 274) is known as a barred spiral galaxy.

Meanwhile, the bright white spherical haze resembling a disk is known as a lenticular galaxy and consists primarily of old stars (NGC 275).  

A glimpse of a galaxy group

NASA classified LEDA 60847 as an active galactic nuclei.(Supplied: NASA/ESA/A. Barth (University of California — Irvine)/M. Koss (Eureka Scientific Inc.)/A. Robinson (Rochester Institute of Technology)/Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))

Large galaxies are created by small galaxies merging — something that happens all the time, according to NASA.

The contrasting colours seen in LEDA 60847 showcase the different temperatures of various elements — stars, gas and dust — coming together.

Galaxy coaxing a star formation

NASA uses the Hubble to study the pair and better understand the link between their physical traits and star formation.(Supplied: NASA/ESA/J. Dalcanton (University of Washington)/R. Windhorst (Arizona State University)/Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))

Of these two interacting galaxies, UGC 05028 (which has sharper colours) has a more irregular shape due to the gravitational pull from its fellow galaxy UGC 05020.

NASA says the bright yellow knot south-east of UGC 05028 may be a remnant of another small galaxy in the process of merging with a new one.

YouTube Galaxy mergers past and present