Cartwheel Galaxy from Hubble 1

The impressive galaxy on the right is known as the Cartwheel Galaxy, along with the two galaxies on the left, is part of a group of galaxies about 400 million light years away in the constellation Sculptor.

Captured by Hubble Space Telescope, the Cartwheel Galaxy is part of a group of galaxies about 400 million light years away, in the constellation Sculptor.

The large galaxy’s rim spans over 100,000 light years and is composed of star forming regions filled with extremely bright and massive stars.

Cartwheel‘s ring-like shape is the result of gravitational disruption caused by a smaller galaxy passing through a large one. This compresses the interstellar gas and dust, causing a star formation wave to move out like a ripple across the surface of a pond.

source APOD