Long-distance friendships can be a beautiful thing 💞 In this case captured by NASAHubble, two galaxies in the trio known as Arp 295 have created a 250,000-light-year-long bridge of stars, connecting each other across the distance between them. When galaxies get close to each other, their gravity can distort their shapes. When this happens, they’re known as interacting galaxies; if they get close enough together, they can eventually merge into one. Researchers believe that galactic mergers are common, and it is even expected that our own Milky Way will merge with our nearest neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, in four billion years. This stellar stripe connects the galaxy in the center of the image, known as Arp 295a, to a second galaxy out of frame above it, Arp 295b. The bridge then trails off down below Arp 295a. Image description: An image focused on Arp 295a against the backdrop of black space littered with stars and distant galaxies. Arp 295a is viewed edge-on, appearing as a...