# @europeanspaceagency on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DLsQbtzt4dt
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35582084-europeanspaceagency-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/61ab639c1f.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-07-04T15:50:00.000+00:00

## Caption

It’s Cancer season ♋️

And we’re zooming in on a galactic drama unfolding in the Crab’s corner of the sky.

Meet NGC 2623, a cosmic showstopper sitting 250 million light-years away in the constellation of Cancer. What you’re seeing isn’t just one galaxy — but the aftermath of two galaxies colliding and merging into one.

This twisted, glowing structure is in a late stage of merging. The central region is bursting with intense star formation, lighting up in bright blue, while the long sweeping tails — stretching 50 000 light-years — are dotted with star clusters, some still in their infancy.

In total, astronomers have found more than 170 stellar clusters inside this galaxy, many of them just beginning their life stories.

As we celebrate the season of Cancer, a constellation often associated with memory, emotion and reflection, NGC 2623 reminds us that even the most dramatic transformations can lead to something new and beautiful.

And a fun thought to leave you with: in about 4 billion years, our Milky Way might go through a similar transformation if it merges with the Andromeda Galaxy. Cosmic change is part of the journey.

📸 europeanspaceagency / Hubble & NASA; creativecommons BY 4.0

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 10,643
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- **Comments:** 64

## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESA - European Space Agency | @europeanspaceagency | https://gondola.cc/europeanspaceagency | Government Organization |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Editor |
| Hubble Space Telescope | @hubbleesa | https://gondola.cc/hubbleesa | Photographer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Publisher |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Copywriter |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Community Manager |

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