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Oscar Wilde once said: "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." I guess I would be that person who's always searching for the beauty in life no matter the circumstances. And what would be more fascinated and more magical than a night sky full of stars?

The Hubble Space Telescope launched into low Earth orbit in 1990s unveiled vast cosmic islands in the endless wild ocean of the universe, and here are some of the most beautiful ones.

#1

Hoag’s Object

Hoag’s Object

Hoag's Object is an unusual ring galaxy in the constellation of Serpens Caput. It is identified as either a planetary nebula or a peculiar galaxy. The galaxy has approximately eight billion stars, and is roughly 120,000 light-years across.

wikipedia.org Report

M. Brown
Community Member
2 years ago

Ring galaxies are very rare and come from two galaxies colliding in a specific fashion. What's ever more unusual about this one is that if you look at 1 O'clock on the inside of the ring, there is a second ring galaxy visible. Truly rare.

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    #2

    W2246-0526

    W2246-0526

    W2246-0526 is the most luminous galaxy ever discovered that is cannibalizing not one, not two, but at least three smaller galaxies, which could explain its extreme brightness.

    NASA Report

    John Haley
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    I guess even God couldn't escape the fidget spinner craze.

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    #3

    Sombrero Galaxy

    Sombrero Galaxy

    The Sombrero galaxy is a peculiar galaxy of unclear classification in the constellation borders of Virgo and Corvus and located around 28 million light-years away from Earth.

    NASA Report

    Fenouille Fenouille
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 years ago

    See, like the Earth, it's flat. (Seriously, beautiful picture! We are extremely lucky to live and observe this amazing world!)

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    #4

    Whirlpool Galaxy

    Whirlpool Galaxy

    The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a (M51a) or NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy.

    NASA Report

    ROHEN SCOTT
    Community Member
    1 year ago

    gulp

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    #5

    Phantom Galaxy or Messier 74

    Phantom Galaxy or Messier 74

    Phantom Galaxy or Messier 74 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Pisces and smaller than our own galaxy.

    NASA Report

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    #6

    Large Magellanic Cloud

    Large Magellanic Cloud

    Large Magellanic Could is a spiral satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It is only 160,000 light-years from Earth therefore  visible to the naked eye as a faint object in the Earth's southern hemisphere located between the constellations of Dorado and Mensa.

    NASA Report

    nomnomborkbork
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    So magnificent!

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    #7

    The Black Eye Galaxy

    The Black Eye Galaxy

    The Black Eye Galaxy is a relatively isolated spiral galaxy 17 million light-years away in the mildly northern constellation of Coma Berenices.

    NASA Report

    Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    Maybe Hoag threw his object at it, and that's why it has a black eye.

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    #8

    Galaxy NGC 6753

    Galaxy NGC 6753

    This galaxy is 150 million light-years away from Earth. Astronomers mentioned, that it is one of only 2 known spiral galaxies, large enough and close enough to allow detailed observations of its crowns.

    NASA Report

    nomnomborkbork
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    Beautiful!

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    #9

    Galaxy NGC 4696

    Galaxy NGC 4696

    NGC 4696 is an elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Centaurus. It has a supermassive black hole that beats like a heart every 5 to 10 million years.

    NASA Report

    George Costanza
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    The question is how do we know that it's black hole beats like a heart every 5-10M years? We've only been looking into deep space for <100 years.

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    #10

    Galaxy NGC 4388

    Galaxy NGC 4388

    NGC 4388 is an active spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Virgo and located at a distance of 57 million light-years from Earth.

    NASA Report

    Alicia M
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    I think this one is so cool looking.

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    #11

    Porpoise Galaxy

    Porpoise Galaxy

    Porpoise Galaxy or NGC 2936 is an interacting spiral galaxy located at a distance of 326 million light-years, in the constellation Hydra. NGC 2936 is interacting with elliptical galaxy NGC 2937 located just beneath it.

    NASA Report

    Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    There's a serious porpoise in this.

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    #12

    NGC 2207 and IC 2163

    NGC 2207 and IC 2163

    NGC 2207 and IC 2163 are a pair of colliding spiral galaxies about 80 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major.

    wikipedia.org Report

    SEAGULL
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    I see an owls head

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    #13

    Galaxy I Zwicky 18

    Galaxy I Zwicky 18

    Galaxy I Zwicky 18 is a blue compact dwarf galaxy located about 59 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.

    wikipedia.org Report

    Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    Wouldn't a blue dwarf be a Smurf?

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    #14

    Kiso 5639

    Kiso 5639

    Kiso 5639 is a dwarf galaxy, member of a class of "tadpole" galaxies so named because of their bright heads and elongated tails.

    NASA Report

    Ryan Mercer
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    I think it looks more like a baby... shark --doo doo doo doo doo doo.

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    #15

    Sunflower Galaxy

    Sunflower Galaxy

    Sunflower Galaxy is a spiral galaxy in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici with approximately 400 billion stars.

    NASA Report

    Nenyone_yay
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    Space is crazy and bafflingly enormous.

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    #16

    The Antennae Galaxies

    The Antennae Galaxies

    The Antennae Galaxies are a pair of interacting galaxies in the constellation Corvus. They currently going through a starburst phase, in which the collision of clouds of gas and dust, with entangled magnetic fields, causes rapid star formation.

    wikipedia.org Report

    KDav
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    The thing that absolutely blows my mind is that "rapid star formation" still means millions of years.

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    #17

    NGC 2336

    NGC 2336

    NGC 2336 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Camelopardalis. It is located at a distance of circa 100 million light-years from Earth.

    NASA Report

    Kelly Scott
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    For those wondering, NGC stands for New Galactic Catalog.

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    #18

    Milky Way

    Milky Way

    The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy, around 13.6 billion years old and home to our own solar system.

    NASA Report

    Skip Reynolds
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    To see the actual Milky Way Galaxy, step outside and look up. For best results do this after dark.

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    #19

    Galaxy NGC 2500

    Galaxy NGC 2500

    NGC 2500 is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Lynx.

    NASA Report

    nomnomborkbork
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    Stunning!

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    #20

    Messier 77

    Messier 77

    Messier 77, also known as NGC 1068 or the Squid Galaxy. It is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Cetus and about 47 million light-years away from Earth.

    NASA Report

    Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    Is that where Zara went?

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    #21

    MACS 2129-1

    MACS 2129-1

    MACS 2129-1 is an early universe so-called 'dead' disk galaxy that lies approximately 10 billion light-years away from Earth. MACS 2129-1 has been described as 'dead' as it has ceased making new stars.

    NASA Report

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    #22

    Cigar Galaxy Or Messier 82

    Cigar Galaxy Or Messier 82

    Cigar Galaxy is a starburst galaxy approximately 12 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major.

    NASA Report

    Mystery Kitteh
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    I see a Phoenix

    #23

    Galaxy RX J1140.1+0307

    Galaxy RX J1140.1+0307

    Galaxy RX J1140.1+0307 is a spiral galaxy that is centered on one of the lowest black hole masses known in any luminous galactic core.

    NASA Report

    #24

    NGC 7674

    NGC 7674

    NGC 7674 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Pegasus. It is located at a distance of circa 350 million light-years from Earth.

    wikipedia.org Report

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    #25

    Andromeda Galaxy

    Andromeda Galaxy

    The Andromeda Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy, the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way and the one of the few visible to the naked eye. It is located about 2,480,000 light-years from Earth.

    Ahmad Basem Report

    Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    It's also going to collide and merge with the Milky Way.

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    #26

    Galaxy IC 342

    Galaxy IC 342

    IC 342 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Camelopardalis, located relatively close to the Milky Way.

    wikipedia.org Report

    Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    Relatively!

    #27

    Messier 81

    Messier 81

    Messier 81 is a grand design spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.

    NASA Report

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    #28

    Hamburger Galaxy

    Hamburger Galaxy

    NGC 3628, also known as the Hamburger Galaxy or Sarah's Galaxy, is an unbarred spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. 

    NASA Report

    Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    It should be Wimpy's galaxy. I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.

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    #29

    Galaxy NGC 3274

    Galaxy NGC 3274

    Galaxy NGC 3274 is a relatively faint spiral galaxy that is located over 20 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo.

    wikipedia.org Report

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    #30

    Galaxy NGC 6744

    Galaxy NGC 6744

    NGC 6744 is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Pavo. 

    wikipedia.org Report

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    #31

    Galaxy MACS J0717.5+3745

    Galaxy MACS J0717.5+3745

    MACS J0717.5+3745 is a large galaxy cluster located 5,4 billion light-years away in the constellation Auriga, appearing in the Massive Cluster Survey.

    wikipedia.org Report

    nomnomborkbork
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    That’s rather spectacular looking.

    #32

    Galaxy Cluster IDCS 1426

    Galaxy Cluster IDCS 1426

    This rare galaxy cluster, which is located 10 billion light years from Earth, weighs almost 500 trillion Suns.

    NASA Report

    Ryan Mercer
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    I could lift that when I was younger.

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    #33

    NGC 7331

    NGC 7331

    NGC 7331, also known as Caldwell 30, is an unbarred spiral galaxy about 40 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus.

    wikipedia.org Report

    Meaghan Stewart
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    Ahahaha I just realized they named Colonel Caldwell from Stargate Atlantis (set in the Pegasus galaxy) after this!

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    #34

    Galaxy Hockey Stick

    Galaxy Hockey Stick

    The Hockey Stick is a highly warped edge-on barred spiral galaxy located in the local universe 30 million light years away from earth in the constellation Canes Venatici. 

    NASA Report

    #35

    Galaxy NGC 4248

    Galaxy NGC 4248

    This beautiful clump of glowing gas, dark dust, and glittering stars is the spiral galaxy NGC 4248 is located about 24 million light-years away in the constellation of Canes Venatici.

    NASA Report

    #36

    Galaxia ESO 486-21

    Galaxia ESO 486-21

    Galaxia ESO 486-21 is a spiral galaxy, with an irregular and ill-defined structure, located about 30 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Lynx. 

    NASA Report

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    #37

    Galaxy NGC 4424

    Galaxy NGC 4424

    NGC 4424 is a spiral galaxy located in the equatorial constellation of Virgo and 13,5 million light-years away from Earth.

    NASA Report

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    #38

    Galaxy IC 5201

    Galaxy IC 5201

    IC 5201 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Grus and about 35 million light-years from Earth.

    NASA Report

    #39

    Galaxy IC 3583

    Galaxy IC 3583

    Galaxy IC 3583 is an irregular galaxy around 30 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. 

    wikipedia.org Report

    Lynette Hannan (Lyn)
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    Cheshire cat!

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    #40

    ESO 137-001

    ESO 137-001

    ESO 137-001 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Triangulum Australe and in the cluster Abell 3627. As the galaxy moves to the center of the cluster at 1900 km/s, it is stripped by hot gas, thus creating a 260,000 light-year long tail.

    NASA Report

    Lynette Hannan (Lyn)
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    A sea Jelly!