This Stunning Hubble Image Is Playing Tricks on Your Eyes
Summary
A stunning cosmic optical illusion reveals two galaxies seemingly in a perfect alignment, creating the illusion of a galactic partnership. This captivating scene showcases the beauty and complexity of the universe, sparking intrigue among astronomy enthusiasts.
Key Insights
Why do the two galaxies in the Hubble image appear to be colliding or overlapping?
The galaxies SDSS J115331 and LEDA 2073461 appear to overlap due to a chance alignment along our line of sight from Earth, more than a billion light-years away, creating an optical illusion of interaction despite no actual physical contact.
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What is the difference between this galactic alignment and gravitational lensing?
This image shows a simple chance superposition of two unrelated galaxies along the line of sight, not gravitational lensing, which involves a massive foreground object bending light from a background galaxy to create distorted or multiple images.