- The Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of NGC 5331, two interacting galaxies
- NGC 5331 shows early stages of a galactic merger occurring 450 million light-years away
- The galaxy pair is very bright in infrared with luminosity 100 billion times the Sun's
A stunning image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope shows NGC 5331, a pair of galaxies that are beginning to interact and pull on each other. The image offers a closer look at the early stages of a galactic merger taking place far from Earth.
NGC 5331 consists of two interacting galaxies that are beginning to hold their arms. A blue trail can also be seen in the image, appearing to flow to the right of the system.
The galaxy pair is extremely bright in the infrared and has a luminosity about a hundred billion times greater than that of the Sun.
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Hold my hand?
— Hubble (@NASAHubble) June 8, 2026
In this Hubble view, two galaxies known collectively as NGC 5331 are seen just beginning to "link" their spiral arms.
This galactic interaction is unfolding about 450 million light-years away, in the constellation Virgo.
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NGC 5331 is located in the constellation Virgo, also known as the Maiden. It lies about 450 million light-years away from Earth.
The image is part of a collection of 59 photographs of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The collection was released on April 24, 2008, to mark the telescope's 18th anniversary.
Hubble's view of NGC 5331 reveals early galactic merger dynamics, offering rare insight into cosmic interactions shaping distant universe today.
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