July 11, 2014

A magnification of the cluster of new stars and the nuclei of the merging galaxies that created it (Image NASA)

The Hubble Space Telescope has photographed an extraordinary structure 100,000 light years long containing clusters of young stars that form a sort of bridge around the nuclei of two ancient galaxies within the galaxy cluster known as SDSS J1531 +3414. This unique structure may provide new clues about the formation of star clusters as a result of galaxies mergers.