LEDA 1313424: The Bullseye Galaxy

The giant galaxy cataloged as LEDA 1313424 is about two and a half times the size of our own Milky Way.

Its remarkable appearance in this recently released Hubble Image strongly suggests its nickname “The Bullseye Galaxy”.

Known as a collisional Ring Galaxy, it has nine rings confirmed by telescopic observations, rippling from its center like waves from a pebble dropped into a pond. Of course, the pebble dropped into the Bullseye Galaxy was a galaxy itself.

Telescopic observations identify the Blue Dwarf Galaxy at center-left as the likely collider, passing through the giant galaxy’s center and forming concentric rings in the wake of their gravitational interaction.

The Bullseye Galaxy lies some 567 million light-years away toward the constellation Pisces. At that distance, this stunning Hubble Image would span about 530,000 light-years.

This image is a testament to the wonders of Cosmos, a striking example of Astrophotography and the nature of Distant Worlds.