This is a picture of the central region of a group of galaxies 300 million light-year away called Stephan's Quintet, taken by the Spitzer space telescope and a ground-based telescope in Spain.
The distant galaxy is generating a 'sonic boom' of cosmic proportions, astronomers have discovered, as one of the galaxies falls towards the others at high speed, ploughing through a cloud of hydrogen gas travelling at 540.6 miles per second - 100 times faster than the speed of sound.
That's all fine and dandy - but this is the interesting part: can you find the smiley face in the picture? (That's Petunia smiling, I think) Link
Hi Loopy Loo - good to hear from you again. Maybe Petunia and Reba are playing together right now, all the way in the doggie heaven (formerly known as Stephan's Quintet galaxy!!)
Glad to see you posting again.