The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a group of four galaxies glowing in the same interstellar neighborhood.
NGC 839, NGC 838, NGC 835, and NGC 833 "shine brightly with their glowing golden centers and wispy tails of gas, set against a background dotted with much more distant galaxies," a Hubble spokesperson said.
The "bizarre cosmic quartet" is part of Hickson Compact Group 16, which comprises seven galaxies total.
These groups are thought to contain an unusually high number of galaxies with strange properties and behaviors.
"HCG 16 is certainly no exception. The galaxies within it are bursting with dramatic knots of star formation and intensely bright central regions," the Hubble team said.
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