This is a NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of a portion of a remote cluster of galaxies (CL 0939+4713) that existed when the universe was two-thirds of its present age (redshift z = 0.4). Hubble's high resolution allows astronomers to study, for the first time, the shapes of galaxies which existed long ago. The Space Telescope pictures are sharp enough to distinguish between various forms of spiral galaxies, as well as galaxies in collision, some tearing material from each other, some merging into single systems.
NASA/Hubble Space Telescope - Alan Dressier, Carnegie Institution
1992-12-01 06:00:00
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