Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a record-breaking galaxy with nine rings of stars. The galaxy, named LEDA 1313424, is helping researchers understand what happens when galaxies collide.
The discovery was made while reviewing a sky survey completed in 2019 and confirmed by data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. Scientists believe the rings formed 50 million years ago when a dwarf galaxy collided with the center of LEDA 1313424, sending shock waves that pushed clouds of cosmic gas and dust together into rings.
The rings are clustered tightly at the galaxy’s center and become more widely spaced as they move outward. This suggests the first few rings formed rapidly and spread widely, while the remaining rings came together more slowly. The discovery confirms past predictions about how galaxies form rings and will help scientists model this process in the future.
Hubble’s timing was impeccable, allowing researchers to capture the galaxy at a special moment in time. The blue dwarf galaxy that collided with LEDA 1313424 is still visible just to the left of the larger galaxy and has moved approximately 130,000 light-years away from its companion.
The discovery of LEDA 1313424’s rings marks a significant milestone in understanding galaxy collisions and will likely inspire future research. With the launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in May 2027, scientists can look forward to capturing light from millions or billions of galaxies, including more multiringed galaxies like this one.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/bulls-eye-hubble-telescope-spots-record-shattering-9-ring-galaxy-and-the-cosmic-dart-that-smashed-through-its-center