A dramatic triplet of galaxies takes centre stage in an image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which captures a three-way gravitational tug-of-war between interacting galaxies, reports Phys.org. This system – known as Arp 195 – is featured in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. The schedule for Hubble observations is calculated using a computer algorithm that allows the spacecraft to occasionally gather bonus snapshots of data between longer observations. The image of the clashing galaxy triplets in Arp 195 is one such snapshot. These extra observations do more than provide spectacular images; they help identify promising targets on which to follow up using telescopes such as the upcoming NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.
https://phys.org/news/2021-07-image-hubble-squabbling-galactic-siblings.html
