Hubble telescope captures early moments two galaxies collide

Two galaxies began colliding 100 million light-years away in an intergalactic crash, the Hubble Space Telescope reveals.

The spiral galaxies, named NGC 5953 and NGC 5954, are in the process of merging with cosmic material from the latter extending into the former.

It's thought the two galaxies will merge together, becoming one big elliptical galaxy.

Many galaxies are connected by intergalactic filaments of gas which draw galaxies together from billions of miles away.

The Milky Way is also expected to merge with our own closest galactic neighbour, the spiral galaxy of Andromeda, in about 4.5 billion years.

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