A Valentine’s rose made of galaxies

Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

This image of a pair of interacting galaxies called Arp 273 was taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and is the perfect Valentine’s rose for the astronomer in your life!

The distorted shape of the larger of the two galaxies shows signs of tidal interactions with the smaller of the two. It is thought that the smaller galaxy has actually passed through the larger one.