These two galaxies are pulling each other apart. Known as The Mice because of their long tails, they will probably collide again and again until they coalesce
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in April 1990. After the problems with its main mirror were fixed, it started sending beautifully detailed images of space back to earth. Here are some of the best
Staring across interstellar space, the Cat's Eye Nebula lies three thousand light-years from Earth. One of the most famous planetary nebulae, NGC 6543 is over half a light-year across and represents a final, brief yet glorious phase in the life of a sun-like star
MyCn18: an hourglass nebula. The sands of time are running out for the central star of this hourglass-shaped planetary nebula. With its nuclear fuel exhausted, this closing phase of a Sun-like star's life occurs as its outer layers are ejected - its core becoming a cooling, fading white dwarf
Picture: NASA
The spiral galaxy M104 is famous for its nearly edge-on profile. Seen in silhouette against a bright bulge of stars, the cosmic dust lanes give it a hat-like appearance, suggesting the more popular name, The Sombrero Galaxy
In 1787, astronomer William Herschel discovered the Eskimo Nebula, NGC 2392, which resembles a person's head surrounded by a parka hood
These glowering eyes are the swirling cores of two merging galaxies called NGC 2207 and IC 2163 in Canis Major. Billions of years from now, only one of these two galaxies will remain. Until then, they will slowly pull each other apart
This is the Cone Nebula within the bright galactic star-forming region NGC 2264. Some have claimed this looks like an image of Jesus Christ
This image is sometimes called Starry Night, a reference to the Vincent van Gogh painting. For reasons unknown, star V838 Mon's outer surface suddenly greatly expanded with the result that it became the brightest star in the entire Milky Way in January 2002. Then, just as suddenly, it faded
Planetary Nebula Mz3: The Ant Nebula. Expelled gas streaming away at 1,000 kilometres per second create a strange ant shape
A huge gas and dust pillar in the Trifid Nebula, punctuated by a smaller pillar pointing up and an unusual jet pointing to the left
Picture: NASA
M74: The Perfect Spiral. If not perfect, then this spiral galaxy is at least one of the most photogenic. An island universe of about 100 billion stars, 32 million light-years away toward the constellation Pisces, M74 presents a gorgeous face-on view
Picture: NASA
NGC 2818 is a beautiful planetary nebula, the gaseous shroud of a dying sun-like star. It could well offer a glimpse of the future that awaits our own Sun in about five billion years
Picture: NASA
This is the mess that is left when a star explodes. The Crab Nebula is the result of a supernova seen in 1054 AD. In the nebula's centre is a pulsar: a neutron star as massive as the Sun but with only the size of a small town
These two galaxies are pulling each other apart. Known as The Mice because of their long tails, they will probably collide again and again until they coalesce
Picture: NASA
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