Astronomers have spotted a "bull's-eye" galaxy with a whopping nine rings, smashing the previous record by six rings. The discovery of the galaxy, known as LEDA 1313424, is helping researchers understand what happens when galaxies collide.
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope spotted LEDA 1313424 "serendipitously" while reviewing a sky survey completed in 2019. The researchers initially counted eight visible rings and later confirmed a faint ninth ring using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. They published their results Feb. 4 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
