17 November 2024 The James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope recently released a chilling view of two spiral galaxies, IC 2163 and NGC 2207, merging into one. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. JWST and Hubble's new composite image shows the galaxies IC 2163 and NGC 2207 with bright-red "blood-soaked" eyes. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI) What it is: The spiral galaxies IC 2163 (left) and NGC 2207 (right) Where it is: 80 million light-years away, in the constellation Canis Major When it was shared: Oct. 31, 2024 Why it's so special: This eerie scene, a composite of images captured by both the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Hubble Space Telescope, features a pair of spiral galaxies with bright cores that resemble a spooky set of "blood-soaked" eyes. These galaxies grazed each other millions of years ago and are currently colliding. That's because millions of years ago, the smaller spiral galaxy on the left, IC 2163, slowly crept behind the larger spiral galaxy on the right, NGC 2207. Because of their close encounter, the galaxies' spiral arms may have developed tiny, tail-like extensions, both between IC 2163's core and its far left arm and between the two galaxies' bright cores. Another similar extension stretches from the top of the larger spiral, which is drifting away from the eerie scene. The two galaxies' materials may have also collided during the graze, which might explain the thick and bulging arms, including the “eyelid” regions, highlighted in bright red.