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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Asteroid photobombs Hubble galaxy image

Asteroid photobombs Hubble galaxy image
Asteroid photobombs Hubble galaxy image An asteroid wanders through this image of galaxy UGC 12158 captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble took multiple exposures of the galaxy, causing the foreground asteroid to appear as a series of bright white dashes. The curved path is due to parallax as Hubble orbits the Earth. Instead of being a nuisance, photobombs like these are useful to scientists trying to estimate the asteroid population in our Solar System. Image: NASA, ESA, Pablo García Martín (UAM) / Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)