Arp 256: Arp 256 is a stunning system of two spiral galaxies in an early stage of merging. The Hubble image displays two galaxies with strongly disrupted shapes and an astonishing number of blue knots of star formation that look like exploding fireworks. The galaxy to the left has two extended ribbon-like tails of gas, dust and stars. The system is a luminous infrared system radiating more than a hundred billion times the luminosity of our Sun. Arp 256 is located in the constellation of Cetus, the Whale, about 350 million light-years away. It is the 256th galaxy in Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. This image is part of a large  collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.

Name: Arp 256
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting
Category: AnniversaryGalaxies
Constellation: Cetus
Distance: 350 million light years
Release date: 24 April 2008, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)

NGC 6670: NGC 6670 is a gorgeous pair of overlapping edge-on galaxies. Scientists believe that NGC 6670 has already experienced at least one close encounter and is now in the early stages of a second. The nuclei of the two galaxies are approximately 50,000 light-years apart. NGC 6670 glows in the infrared with more than a hundred billion times the luminosity of our Sun and is thought to be entering a starburst phase. The pair is located some 400 million light-years away from Earth. This image is part of a large  collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.

Name: NGC 6670
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting
Category: AnniversaryGalaxies
Constellation: Draco
Distance: 400 million light years
Release date: 24 April 2008, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)

NGC 6240: NGC 6240 is a peculiar, butterfly- or lobster-shaped galaxy consisting of two smaller merging galaxies. It lies in the constellation of Ophiuchus, the Serpent Holder, some 400 million light-years away. Observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have disclosed two giant black holes, about 3,000 light-years apart, which will drift toward one another and eventually merge together into a larger black hole. The merging process triggered dramatic star formation and sparked numerous supernova explosions. The merger will be complete in some tens to hundreds of millions of years. This image is part of a large  collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.

Name: NGC 6240
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting
Category: AnniversaryGalaxies
Constellation: Ophiuchus
Distance: 400 million light years
Release date: 24 April 2008, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)

ESO 593-8: ESO 593-8 is an impressive pair of interacting galaxies with a feather-like galaxy crossing a companion galaxy. The two components will probably merge to form a single galaxy in the future. The pair is adorned with a number of bright blue star clusters. ESO 593-8 is located in the constellation of Sagittarius, the Archer, some 650 million light-years away from Earth. This image is part of a large  collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.

Name: ESO 593-8
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting
Category: AnniversaryGalaxies
Constellation: Sagittarius
Distance: 650 million light years
Release date: 24 April 2008, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)

NGC 454: NGC 454 is galaxy pair comprising a large red elliptical galaxy and an irregular gas-rich blue galaxy. The system is in the early stages of an interaction that has severely distorted both components. The three bright blue knots of very young stars to the left of the two main components are probably part of the irregular blue galaxy. Although the dust lanes that stretch all the way to the centre of the elliptical galaxy suggest that gas has penetrated that far, no signs of star formation or nuclear activity are visible. The pair is approximately 164 million light-years away. This image is part of a large  collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.

Name: NGC 454
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting
Category: AnniversaryGalaxies
Constellation: Phoenix
Distance: 160 million light years
Release date: 24 April 2008, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)

UGC 8335: UGC 8335 is a strongly interacting pair of spiral galaxies resembling two ice skaters. The interaction has united the galaxies via a bridge of material and has yanked two strongly curved tails of gas and stars from the outer parts of their "bodies". Both galaxies show dust lanes in their centres. UGC 8335 is located in the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear, about 400 million light-years from Earth. It is the 238th galaxy in Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. This image is part of a large  collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.

Name: UGC 8335
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting
Category: AnniversaryGalaxies
Constellation: Ursa Major
Distance: 400 million light years
Release date: 24 April 2008, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)

NGC 6786: This Hubble image displays a beautiful pair of interacting spiral galaxies with swirling arms. The smaller of the two, dubbed LEDA 62867 and positioned to the left of the frame, seems to be safe for now, but will probably be swallowed by the larger spiral galaxy, NGC 6786 (to the right), eventually. There is already some disturbance visible in both components. The pair is number 538 in Karachentsev's Catalogue of Pairs of Galaxies. A supernova was seen to explode in the large spiral in 2004. NGC 6786 is located in the constellation of Draco, the Dragon, about 350 million light-years away. This image is part of a large  collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.

Name: NGC 6786
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : SpiralLocal Universe : Galaxy : Type : Interacting
Category: AnniversaryGalaxies
Constellation: Draco
Distance: 350 million light years
Release date: 24 April 2008, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)