Hubble catches rare crash of three brilliant galaxies

Three giant galaxies verge on crashing, smearing their gas and dust in a violent wreck, in a new image from the Hubble Space Telescope.
A collision of three galaxies is relatively rare in space, according to the European Space Agency, so such a scenario presents an opportunity for astronomers to study how the most massive galaxies in the universe form.
This trio, found off in the cosmic distance in the Bootes constellation, is known as SDSSCGB 10189. It will eventually combine into one spectacular galactic neighborhood, after distorting each other's spiral shapes. The merging of galaxies creates turbulence and tides that can trigger new bursts of star formation within their interstellar gas clouds, according to NASA.
Hubble catches rare crash of three brilliant galaxies