This Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 4900 appears to show a bright star overlapping the spiral galaxy. But while both celestial objects appear to be in the constellation Virgo as viewed from Earth, the distance between them is great. (Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, S. J. Smartt, C. Kilpatrick)
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows a spiral galaxy and a bright star, both in the constellation Virgo. The two celestial bodies appear to be close to one another but in actuality, they are far apart.
Why is it amazing?
This stunning image by the Hubble Space Telescope contains an optical illusion. The spiral galaxy, referred to by astronomers as NGC 4900, appears to be sharing space with a brilliant star.
The star, which stands out due to its prominent diffraction spikes, is in our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and is 7,109 light-years from Earth. The galaxy, on the other hand, is about 45 million light years away.
