How close is *too* close? These images capture a pair of galaxies merging into one! The @NASAHubble image on the left shows the merger in visible light, while the @NASAWebb image on the right shows it in infrared.
@NASAGoddard @NASAHubble @NASAWebb They technically aren’t merging and the space between them in reality will leave both galaxies mostly unfazed. Just a theory. Space is huge. So the probability of a true collision is rare.
@NASAGoddard @NASAHubble @NASAWebb Without filter vs With filter
@NASAGoddard @NASAHubble @NASAWebb Very close, just like death to me
@NASAGoddard @NASAHubble @NASAWebb This pair of galaxies, known to astronomers as II ZW 96, is approximately 500 million light-years from Earth and lies in the constellation Delphinus, near the equator.