Space Telescope Science Institute

When galaxies collide, the result can be unexpectedly calm. NGC 3256, seen by the James Webb Space Telescope, is the aftermath of a collision that occurred around 500 million years ago.

As the space between stars within galaxies is vast, much of the collision actually takes place between clouds of dust and gas. Those collisions compress those clouds and create the perfect conditions for new stars to form. Many of the stars pass each other and scatter about after the collision, appearing here as a smoky haze around the galaxy, which is in the midst of transformation.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, L. Armus, A. Evans.