Galaxy IC 1727 (pictured here) and galaxy NGC 672 (out of frame) are close neighbors so close, in fact, IC 1727 is completely warped due to gravity from the two galaxies pushing and pulling against one another. The pair of interacting galaxies are also a hotbed for starbursts and star clusters.

This is two photos of Titan, Saturns moon, taken by the Cassini spacecraft. Cassini boasts a host of cameras and instruments that examine Titans hydrocarbon haze as well as its fluid atmosphere. The left is a natural color view and the right is a false-color view, revealing a strip of white clouds.

This is dubbed a jellyfish galaxy due to its long tentacles of gas. This happens because of ram pressure stripping, which is when gravity causes galaxies to plummet into galaxy clusters. There they run into hot, dense gas that blasts through the galaxy sending gas streaming out and setting off starbursts. Ram pressure stripping also feeds the hungry supermassive black hole in the galaxys center and makes it shine brightly. There are only 400 known jellyfish galaxies in the universe.

Citizens scientists captured another stunning shot of Jupiters Great Red Spot using the JunoCAm on NASAs Juno spacecraft.

This is another shot of Saturns moon Titan, showcasing its hazy atmosphere.

This shot of Saturn reveals the planet's many and varied bands of clouds. The turbulence is where clouds moving at varying speeds and directions meet.

You might be counting down the days to the solar eclipse , but the universe is always overflowing with celestials marvels. And this week was no exception.

First up is a rare jellyfish galaxy, nicknamed for its long, winding "tentacles" trailing out behind it. This phenomenon is caused by something known as ram pressure stripping, when galaxies plummet into galaxy clusters at an incredibly fast rate. They sometimes meet hot, dense gas that blows through the galaxy, shooting out gas and setting off starbursts. This process also feeds the supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy which makes it grow in size and glow brightly. The photo made by ESO's Very Large Telescope documents just one of 400 known jellyfish galaxies in the universe.

There's also the sparkling IC 1727 galaxy snapped by NASA's Hubble Telescope. The galaxy's unusual and warped shape comes from interaction with neighboring galaxy HGC 672 (not pictured). When galaxies drift too close together, their gravities push and pull against one another, swapping dust and gas. This duo is also a hotbed for star formation, with starbursts and star clusters dotted throughout.

If that's not enough, check out the hazy atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan and Jupiter's many converging cloud formations. And when you're finished, make sure to explore the entire collection.

Author: Rhett Allain Rhett Allain

Author: Steven Levy Steven Levy

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Space Photos of the Week: Galactic Neighbors Got a Star Factory Going - WIRED