{"id":511200,"date":"2026-08-18T01:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T15:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/missions\/hubble\/hubble-solves-merger-mystery-from-milky-ways-early-years\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T01:00:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T15:00:11","slug":"hubble-solves-merger-mystery-from-milky-ways-early-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=511200","title":{"rendered":"Hubble Solves Merger Mystery From Milky Way\u2019s Early Years"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-secondary-navigation\">\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-navigation-wrapper z-top width-100 padding-0\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-secondary-navigation width-full border-bottom-1px text-center hds-color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-hdsnav\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"hds-secondary-nav-mobile-button display-flex tablet:display-flex desktop:display-none width-full flex-align-center bg-carbon-90 border-color-carbon-80 color-spacesuit-white\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"hds-secondary-nav-track\"><span>Explore Hubble<\/span><svg width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 400 400\" viewBox=\"0 0 400 400\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m4.2 122.2 195.1 195.1 196.5-196.6-37.9-38-157.8 157.8-156.8-156.8z\" \/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-nav-track grid-container grid-container-extrawide padding-0 tablet:padding-x-3 desktop:padding-x-2 \">\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-navigation-menu-items\">\n<nav>\n<ul class=\"usa-nav__primary usa-accordion flex-justify-center margin-0\">\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Hubble Home<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"usa-accordion__button usa-nav__link\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"basic-nav-section-one\"><span>Overview<\/span><svg class=\"hds-desktop-submenu-toggle-icon display-none tablet:display-none desktop:display-block\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 400 400\" viewBox=\"0 0 400 400\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m4.2 122.2 195.1 195.1 196.5-196.6-37.9-38-157.8 157.8-156.8-156.8z\" \/><\/svg><svg class=\"hds-mobile-submenu-toggle-icon display-block tablet:display-block desktop:display-none\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle cx=\"8\" cy=\"8\" r=\"7.5\" fill=\"#0B3D91\" stroke=\"white\"\/><rect x=\"4\" y=\"7.6001\" width=\"8\" height=\"0.8\" fill=\"white\"\/><rect class=\"hds-mobile-submenu-toggle-icon-line-vertical\" x=\"7.59998\" y=\"12\" width=\"8\" height=\"0.8\" transform=\"rotate(-90 7.59998 12)\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg><\/button>\n<ul id=\"basic-nav-section-one\" class=\"usa-nav__submenu\" hidden>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/overview\/about-hubble\/\" rel=\"noopener\">About Hubble<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/overview\/the-history-of-hubble\/\" rel=\"noopener\">The History of Hubble<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/overview\/hubble-timeline\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Hubble Timeline<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/overview\/why-have-a-telescope-in-space\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Why Have a Telescope in Space?<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/overview\/about-hubble\/hubble-by-the-numbers\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Hubble by the Numbers<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/overview\/at-the-museum\/\" rel=\"noopener\">At the Museum<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/overview\/faqs\/\" rel=\"noopener\">FAQs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__primary-item\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"usa-accordion__button usa-nav__link\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"basic-nav-section-one\"><span>Impact &#038; Benefits<\/span><svg class=\"hds-desktop-submenu-toggle-icon display-none tablet:display-none desktop:display-block\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 400 400\" viewBox=\"0 0 400 400\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m4.2 122.2 195.1 195.1 196.5-196.6-37.9-38-157.8 157.8-156.8-156.8z\" \/><\/svg><svg class=\"hds-mobile-submenu-toggle-icon display-block tablet:display-block desktop:display-none\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle cx=\"8\" cy=\"8\" r=\"7.5\" fill=\"#0B3D91\" stroke=\"white\"\/><rect x=\"4\" y=\"7.6001\" width=\"8\" height=\"0.8\" fill=\"white\"\/><rect class=\"hds-mobile-submenu-toggle-icon-line-vertical\" x=\"7.59998\" y=\"12\" width=\"8\" height=\"0.8\" transform=\"rotate(-90 7.59998 12)\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg><\/button>\n<ul id=\"basic-nav-section-one\" class=\"usa-nav__submenu\" hidden>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/impacts-and-benefits\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Hubble\u2019s Impact &#038; Benefits<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/science\/science-highlights\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Science Impacts<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/impacts-and-benefits\/hubbles-cultural-impact\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Cultural Impact<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/impacts-and-benefits\/technology-benefits\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology Benefits<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/impacts-and-benefits\/hubbles-impact-on-human-spaceflight\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Impact on Human Spaceflight<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/impacts-and-benefits\/astronomical-community-impacts\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Astro Community 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Activities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"padding-top-5 padding-bottom-3 width-full maxw-full hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-article-intro\">\n<div class=\"width-full maxw-full article-header\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2 width-full maxw-full\">\n<p class=\"label carbon-60 margin-0 margin-bottom-3 padding-0\">5 min read<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"display-48 margin-bottom-2\">Hubble Solves Merger Mystery From Milky Way\u2019s Early Years<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-wide\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2160\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"An illustration of two galaxies in the midst of a collision against a dark, star-filled background.  The collision takes up the middle third of the illustration. On the right, a larger galaxy is viewed at an angle from 11 ou2019clock to 4 ou2019clock, with a white-yellow core surrounded by mottled brown dust lanes and faint bluish spiral arms. To the left, a smaller, bright blue-white galaxy is stretched into a curved, hook-like shape as gravity distorts it. A broad, glowing bridge of pale blue gas and stars extends off the galaxy at the left, while wispy streams extend above and below the larger galaxy at the right. The words u201cArtistu2019s Conceptu201d appear in the lower left corner.\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"eager\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 3840w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=300&#038;h=169&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=768&#038;h=432&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=1024&#038;h=576&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=1536&#038;h=864&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=2048&#038;h=1152&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2048w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=400&#038;h=225&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=600&#038;h=338&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=900&#038;h=506&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=1200&#038;h=675&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=2000&#038;h=1125&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">About 12 billion years ago, a dwarf galaxy known as LKH collided with a young Milky Way and merged with it. This artist\u2019s concept portrays that collision. NASA\u2019s Hubble Space Telescope uncovered definitive evidence of this collision by studying globular star clusters.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">Illustration: NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, grew to its current size in part by consuming smaller galaxies. Now, new data from NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Hubble Space Telescope<\/a> shows definitive evidence of a dwarf galaxy merging with the young Milky Way galaxy in the earliest phases of its evolution. This finding extends our knowledge of our galaxy\u2019s history 1.8 billion years farther back in time than before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The results published Monday in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41550-026-02931-5\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Nature Astronomy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Milky Way today is a massive spiral galaxy home to hundreds of billions of stars. However, our galaxy wasn\u2019t always so large; it has grown by forming new stars from its gas clouds as well as collecting stars, gas, and <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/multimedia\/hubble-glossary\/#h-dark-matter\" rel=\"noopener\">dark matter<\/a> from other galaxies through mergers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most recent massive merger in our galaxy\u2019s history took place with the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, beginning over 6 billion years ago and still ongoing today. Looking back into the even more distant past, researchers learned that the Milky Way galaxy consumed another dwarf galaxy called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esa.int\/Science_Exploration\/Space_Science\/Gaia\/Galactic_ghosts_Gaia_uncovers_major_event_in_the_formation_of_the_Milky_Way\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus<\/a> 10 billion years ago. This ancient merger greatly affected the structure of our galaxy\u2019s disk of stars. Other, smaller mergers occurred between these two.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But our galaxy\u2019s history doesn\u2019t stop there. Both observations and simulations have suggested that another large merger preceded these two, though the specifics of the event have been heavily debated. Now, Hubble has uncovered definitive evidence of an earlier merger that occurred about 11.8 billion years ago, or just 2 billion years after the big bang.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur home is the Milky Way galaxy, but we do not know how our house was built,\u201d said Davide Massari, lead author, Astrophysics and Space Science Observatory of Bologna in Italy. \u201cIn this paper we discover where the first significant batch of bricks came from: a dwarf galaxy that we call LKH.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cosmic archaeological sites<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Immense astronomical surveys and precision data from spacecraft like ESA\u2019s (European Space Agency\u2019s) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esa.int\/Science_Exploration\/Space_Science\/Gaia\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Gaia mission<\/a> have been instrumental in piecing together the history of our galaxy. The farther back into our galaxy\u2019s history that scientists attempt to look, the more difficult it becomes to tell what happened. When our galaxy was young, it was smaller and much closer in size to the galaxies it clashed with. It was also more chaotic, and it\u2019s possible that the signs of mergers have been erased over billions of years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s into this murky past that Hubble peered. Researchers used Hubble to study some of the Milky Way galaxy\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/science\/universe-uncovered\/hubble-star-clusters\/#globular-clusters\" rel=\"noopener\">globular clusters<\/a>: immense, roughly spherical collections of tens of thousands to a few million stars. Globular clusters contain some of the oldest stars in our galaxy, and they can act as cosmic archaeological sites that preserve stars from other galaxies the Milky Way galaxy has collected.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThanks to the high resolution and depth of Hubble imaging, we could measure the age and the metal content of these clusters with unprecedented precision,\u201d said Chiara Zerbinati, study co-author, University of Bologna in Italy. \u201cCoupled with measurements from Gaia, this made it possible to distinguish a population of globular clusters that are different from the others. These are the clusters that were born in LKH, and they tell us when that galaxy was devoured by ours, and how massive it was.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team analyzed Hubble observations of 39 globular clusters in the inner 20,000 light-years of our galaxy, where evidence of the most ancient mergers should be preserved. They expected this sample to contain globular clusters that formed within the young Milky Way galaxy as well as those collected from the Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus dwarf galaxy about 10 billion years ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using Hubble\u2019s sensitive observations to determine each cluster\u2019s precise age and associated metallicity \u2014 the abundance of elements heavier than helium \u2014 they determined there was a third population of globular clusters in the inner regions of our galaxy. The team found that these clusters are older than the group collected in the Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus merger, but younger than those born in the Milky Way, regardless of their metal content. These\u00a0 clusters, therefore, came from a separate and even earlier merger \u2014 in which the Milky Way galaxy absorbed a dwarf galaxy containing roughly 500 million times the mass of the Sun in stars, a significant fraction of our galaxy\u2019s mass at the time. They named this dwarf galaxy Low-energy-Kraken-Heracles, or LKH, in honor of three earlier research papers that championed the idea of a merger early in our galaxy\u2019s history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Such a large merger so early in the Milky Way galaxy\u2019s formation has profound implications for the evolution of our galaxy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSome past studies have argued that the earliest phases of our galaxy\u2019s evolution were defined by stars born only in our galaxy,\u201d says Massari. \u201cHere, we have shown that stars born in external galaxies also need to be considered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team plans to continue their work to unravel the history of the Milky Way galaxy by studying its globular clusters, aiming to characterize all the massive mergers that our galaxy has experienced across cosmic history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHubble is observing globular clusters that have never been studied before, and this will help us characterize the merger events that are far back in time in the Milky Way galaxy\u2019s history,\u201d said Fernando Aguado-Agelet, co-author, University of Vigo and the University of La Laguna in Spain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for more than three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-social-media hds-social-media--horizontal grid-container grid-container-block nasa-gb-align-center margin-y-0 padding-y-5 padding-x-3 desktop:padding-x-0 font-weight-bold hds-module aligncenter wp-block-nasa-blocks-social-media-links\">\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center padding-y-1\" id=\"social-facebook\">\n<div class=\"circle-4 minw-4 display-flex flex-align-center flex-justify-center\" style=\"background-color: #4267B2;\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-labelledby=\"facebookIconTitle\"><title id=\"facebookIconTitle\">Facebook logo<\/title><path d=\"M9 8h-3v4h3v12h5v-12h3.642l.358-4h-4v-1.667c0-.955.192-1.333 1.115-1.333h2.885v-5h-3.808c-3.596 0-5.192 1.583-5.192 4.615v3.385z\"\/><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-social-media-items padding-left-2\">\n\t\t\t\t<a  class=\"margin-right-2\" href=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/NASAHubble\" aria-label=\"Go to @NASAHubble on facebook\" rel=\"noopener\">@NASAHubble<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center padding-y-1\" id=\"social-twitter\">\n<div class=\"circle-4 minw-4 display-flex flex-align-center flex-justify-center\" style=\"background-color: #000000;\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"1200\" height=\"1227\" viewBox=\"0 0 1200 1227\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M714.163 519.284L1160.89 0H1055.03L667.137 450.887L357.328 0H0L468.492 681.821L0 1226.37H105.866L515.491 750.218L842.672 1226.37H1200L714.137 519.284H714.163ZM569.165 687.828L521.697 619.934L144.011 79.6944H306.615L611.412 515.685L658.88 583.579L1055.08 1150.3H892.476L569.165 687.854V687.828Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-social-media-items padding-left-2\">\n\t\t\t\t<a  class=\"margin-right-2\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NASAHubble\" aria-label=\"Go to @NASAHubble on twitter\">@NASAHubble<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center padding-y-1\" id=\"social-instagram\">\n<div class=\"circle-4 minw-4 display-flex flex-align-center flex-justify-center\" style=\"background-color: #833AB4;\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"169.063px\" height=\"169.063px\" viewBox=\"0 0 169.063 169.063\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 169.063 169.063;\" xml:space=\"preserve\" aria-labelledby=\"instagramIconTitle\"><title id=\"instagramIconTitle\">Instagram logo<\/title><g> <path d=\"M122.406,0H46.654C20.929,0,0,20.93,0,46.655v75.752c0,25.726,20.929,46.655,46.654,46.655h75.752 c25.727,0,46.656-20.93,46.656-46.655V46.655C169.063,20.93,148.133,0,122.406,0z M154.063,122.407 c0,17.455-14.201,31.655-31.656,31.655H46.654C29.2,154.063,15,139.862,15,122.407V46.655C15,29.201,29.2,15,46.654,15h75.752 c17.455,0,31.656,14.201,31.656,31.655V122.407z\"\/> <path d=\"M84.531,40.97c-24.021,0-43.563,19.542-43.563,43.563c0,24.02,19.542,43.561,43.563,43.561s43.563-19.541,43.563-43.561 C128.094,60.512,108.552,40.97,84.531,40.97z M84.531,113.093c-15.749,0-28.563-12.812-28.563-28.561 c0-15.75,12.813-28.563,28.563-28.563s28.563,12.813,28.563,28.563C113.094,100.281,100.28,113.093,84.531,113.093z\"\/> <path d=\"M129.921,28.251c-2.89,0-5.729,1.17-7.77,3.22c-2.051,2.04-3.23,4.88-3.23,7.78c0,2.891,1.18,5.73,3.23,7.78 c2.04,2.04,4.88,3.22,7.77,3.22c2.9,0,5.73-1.18,7.78-3.22c2.05-2.05,3.22-4.89,3.22-7.78c0-2.9-1.17-5.74-3.22-7.78 C135.661,29.421,132.821,28.251,129.921,28.251z\"\/><\/g><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-social-media-items padding-left-2\">\n\t\t\t\t<a  class=\"margin-right-2\" href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/NASAHubble\" aria-label=\"Go to @NASAHubble on instagram\" rel=\"noopener\">@NASAHubble<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-featured-link-list bg-carbon-05 padding-x-2 tablet:padding-x-3 desktop:padding-x-4 padding-y-5 desktop:padding-y-6 hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-featured-link-list\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block padding-0\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-22\">\n\t\t\t\tRelated Images &#038; Videos\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row padding-y-2 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-30-important\">\n<div class=\"grid-row featured-link-list-row width-full flex-align-center\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-2 desktop:grid-col-1 tablet:padding-right-3 desktop:padding-right-5\">\n<div class=\"width-full\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper width-full ratio-1x1 radius-pill overflow-hidden\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2160\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"An illustration of two galaxies in the midst of a collision against a dark, star-filled background.  The collision takes up the middle third of the illustration. On the right, a larger galaxy is viewed at an angle from 11 ou2019clock to 4 ou2019clock, with a white-yellow core surrounded by mottled brown dust lanes and faint bluish spiral arms. To the left, a smaller, bright blue-white galaxy is stretched into a curved, hook-like shape as gravity distorts it. A broad, glowing bridge of pale blue gas and stars extends off the galaxy at the left, while wispy streams extend above and below the larger galaxy at the right. The words u201cArtistu2019s Conceptu201d appear in the lower left corner.\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 3840w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=300&#038;h=169&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=768&#038;h=432&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=1024&#038;h=576&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=1536&#038;h=864&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=2048&#038;h=1152&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2048w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=400&#038;h=225&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=600&#038;h=338&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=900&#038;h=506&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=1200&#038;h=675&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2026\/08\/STScI-01KZ4N4D8G9AK26CF28HD5NT5N.png?w=2000&#038;h=1125&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8 desktop:grid-col-10 padding-left-3 desktop:padding-left-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-36 margin-0\">LKH Milky Way Merger Illustration<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<p class=\"p-md margin-0 color-carbon-black-important\">About 12 billion years ago, a dwarf galaxy known as LKH collided with a young Milky Way and merged with it. This artist\u2019s concept portrays that collision. NASA\u2019s Hubble Space Telescope uncovered definitive evidence of this collision by studying globular star clusters.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-2 desktop:grid-col-1 display-flex flex-justify-end\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/?post_type=stma&#038;p=1275292\"  aria-label=\"LKH Milky Way Merger Illustration\" class=\"link-external-false\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n                            <svg class=\"hds-featured-link-list-button margin-left-auto margin-right-0\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\">\n                                <circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path>\n                            <\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<html><body><\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 nasa_template_article_b hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Share<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-bottom-2\">\n<ul class=\"social-icons social-icons-round\">\n<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-x\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a 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2.5s-2.48-1.119-2.48-2.5c0-1.38 1.11-2.5 2.48-2.5s2.48 1.12 2.48 2.5zm.02 4.5h-5v16h5v-16zm7.982 0h-4.968v16h4.969v-8.399c0-4.67 6.029-5.052 6.029 0v8.399h4.988v-10.131c0-7.88-8.922-7.593-11.018-3.714v-2.155z\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-rss\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/feed\/\" aria-label=\"Subscribe to RSS feed.\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 800 800\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M493 652H392c0-134-111-244-244-244V307c189 0 345 156 345 345zm71 0c0-228-188-416-416-416V132c285 0 520 235 520 520z\"><\/path><circle cx=\"219\" cy=\"581\" r=\"71\"><\/circle><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8\">Aug 17, 2026<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n<div class=\"subheading\">Editor<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8\">Andrea Gianopoulos<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n<div class=\"subheading\">Location<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8\"><a class=\"hds-location-tag-name\" href=\"https:\/\/nasa.gov\/goddard\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"hds-meta-heading\">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row margin-y-3\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n<div class=\"subheading\">Contact<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"heading-16 padding-bottom-1 border-bottom margin-bottom-2\">Media<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnd-extra-left-wysiwyg\">\n<p><strong>Claire Andreoli<\/strong><br \/>\nNASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<br \/>\nGreenbelt, Maryland<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:claire.andreoli@nasa.gov\">claire.andreoli@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bethany Downer<\/strong><br \/>\nESA\/Hubble<br \/>\nBaltimore, US<\/p>\n<p><strong>Christine Pulliam<\/strong><br \/>\nSpace Telescope Science Institute<br \/>\nBaltimore, Maryland<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black \">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Related Terms<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"article-tags\">\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\" rel=\"noopener\">Hubble Space Telescope<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/astrophysics\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Astrophysics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/astrophysics\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Astrophysics Division<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/galaxies\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Galaxies<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/category\/universe\/stars\/star-clusters\/globular-clusters\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Globular Clusters<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/goddard\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/category\/universe\/stars\/star-clusters\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Star Clusters<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/category\/universe\/galaxies\/milky-way\/\" rel=\"noopener\">The Milky Way<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"margin-top-6\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14 margin-bottom-2\">Related Links and Documents<\/h2>\n<div class=\"cnd-extra-right-wysiwyg\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/esahubble.org\/news\/heic2611\/\" rel=\"noopener\">This story on ESA\/Hubble\u2019s website.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-topic-cards nasa-gb-align-full maxw-full width-full padding-y-6 padding-x-3 color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-topic-cards\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block-lg padding-x-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"desktop:grid-col-8 margin-bottom-2 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"label color-carbon-60 margin-bottom-2\">Keep Exploring<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"heading-36 line-height-sm\">Discover More Topics From Hubble<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-gap-2 hds-topic-cards-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Hubble Space Telescope<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"4031\" height=\"4095\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=4031&#038;h=4095&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=4031&#038;h=4095&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 4031w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=295&#038;h=300&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 295w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=768&#038;h=780&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=1008&#038;h=1024&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1008w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=1512&#038;h=1536&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1512w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=2016&#038;h=2048&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2016w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=50&#038;h=51&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 50w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=394&#038;h=400&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 394w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=591&#038;h=600&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 591w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=886&#038;h=900&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 886w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=1181&#038;h=1200&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1181w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2023\/07\/hubble-space-telescope-hst-6.jpg?w=1969&#038;h=2000&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1969w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4031px) 100vw, 4031px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/science\/science-highlights\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Hubble Science Highlights<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">Hubble&#8217;s most notable scientific discoveries reflect the broad range of research and the breakthroughs it has achieved.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"539\" height=\"565\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/universe\/internal_resources\/462\/Pillars_of_Creation-1.jpeg?w=539&#038;h=565&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/hubble\/multimedia\/hubble-images\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Hubble Images<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">Explore Hubble&#8217;s iconic images of the universe, and view photos of mission operations and astronauts servicing Hubble in space.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1536px\" height=\"1536px\" data-no-id=\"true\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2024\/07\/STScI-01J1X1RNTC893XMKJREG898ZXB.tif?w=1536 1536w\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2024\/07\/STScI-01J1X1RNTC893XMKJREG898ZXB.tif?w=1536\" ><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/?post_type=mission&#038;p=53188\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Hubble News<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1536px\" height=\"1536px\" data-no-id=\"true\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/hubble\/releases\/2005\/02\/STScI-01EVT8D2PRXPF512PH8C8DCXXM.tif?w=1536 1536w\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" 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