Three Space Telescopes Capture Two Galaxies in the Middle of a Collision
A new image released by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory on 25 August 2026 shows II Zw 096, two galaxies merging at a furious rate. X-rays reveal black hole activity and hot gas, while Hubble and Webb data show star nurseries hidden behind dust.
By the UISC BD Editorial Desk · United Information Service Center · Published 13 September 2026 · 4-minute read
"NASA Chandra II Zw 096" is one of the rising NASA searches on Google this week, after the object featured in a new gallery of galaxy images from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.
What II Zw 096 Is
II Zw 096 is a system of two galaxies merging, located in the direction of the constellation Delphinus. One appears as a spiral galaxy with thick arms; the other looks like a faint, hazy bowl. Where they meet, the collision creates a chaotic, dust-shrouded region of intense star formation — astronomers call this a starburst.
What Each Telescope Shows
Chandra (X-rays, shown in magenta) pinpoints powerful black hole activity and hot gas — processes invisible to ordinary telescopes.
Hubble (visible light, blue and white) shows the stars and structure of the galaxies.
James Webb (infrared) sees through the dust to reveal vast stellar nurseries where new stars are forming.
Combining the three turns one picture into a layered view of what is happening at very different temperatures and energies.
Why Scientists Study Mergers Like This
Galaxy collisions were far more common in the early universe and shaped how galaxies grew. Systems like II Zw 096 let astronomers study that process up close: how collisions trigger bursts of star birth and feed the black holes at galaxies' centres.
A Preview of Our Own Future
NASA notes that II Zw 096 offers a preview of the distant future of our own galaxy. The Milky Way is expected to merge with the nearby Andromeda galaxy — an event billions of years away that will reshape both into a single, larger galaxy.
Part of a Wider Gallery
The image was released as part of a new Chandra collection of galaxy images published on 25 August 2026, highlighting how X-ray observations add information that other telescopes cannot capture.
More space news: NASA's Roman Space Telescope launch and what to look for in the night sky this September.
Related reading
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs iPhone Duo: How the Two Big Foldables Compare
- iPhone Duo: Price, Specs and Release Date of Apple's First Foldable
- AirPods 5: Price, Noise Cancellation and Release Date
- GPT-6 Astra Explained: What OpenAI's New Model Can Do and What It Costs
Sources
- "NASA's Chandra spots galactic gem," NASA — nasa.gov
- "Galaxy gallery, August 25, 2026," Chandra X-ray Center — chandra.harvard.edu
- "New gallery of galaxies from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory released," Phys.org — phys.org
- "A galactic gem in Delphinus: system II Zw 96," Friends of NASA — friendsofnasa.org
