The 'Bullseye Galaxy' LEDA 1313424 features nine star-filled rings around its center, surpassing the previous record by six rings. (Image credit: NASA)
Astronomers have identified a rare galaxy with an incredible nine rings, setting a new record and shedding light on the effects of galactic collisions. This extraordinary galaxy, known as LEDA 1313424, was discovered while researchers were analyzing past sky survey data from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Initially, scientists counted eight rings, but after further examination using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, they confirmed a faint ninth ring. The findings were published on February 4 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Experts believe these rings formed when a small blue dwarf galaxy collided with the center of LEDA 1313424 approximately 50 million years ago. The impact created powerful shock waves, much like ripples spreading across a pond. These waves compressed clouds of gas and dust, triggering the formation of new stars, which now appear as glowing rings around the galaxy’s center.
The blue dwarf galaxy responsible for this cosmic event is still visible in the image, connected to LEDA 1313424 by a thin stream of gas. It has since moved about 130,000 light-years away, a distance greater than the width of our own Milky Way galaxy.
Astronomers were fortunate to observe this galaxy at a crucial stage. Yale University astronomer Pieter van Dokkum, a co-author of the study, explained that such a multi-ringed galaxy exists only for a short period before the rings fade. This discovery provides an opportunity to test long-standing theories on how galaxies form concentric rings after collisions.
Rather than being evenly spaced, the rings appear densely packed near the galaxy’s center and become more widely spaced toward the outer regions. This pattern suggests that the first few rings expanded rapidly due to the strong momentum of the initial impact, while later rings formed more gradually as the disturbance settled.
While LEDA 1313424's rings will likely fade over time, studying them now helps astronomers understand how similar structures form in other galaxies. Scientists hope to find more multi-ringed galaxies in the future with the help of advanced telescopes.
NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch in May 2027, will have a field of view 100 times larger than Hubble’s. This powerful telescope is expected to capture light from millions—or even billions—of galaxies, possibly revealing even more extraordinary cosmic structures like LEDA 1313424.
