Hickson 40

The Hubble Space Telescope has released a new image of Arp 321, also known as Hickson 40, a compact group of five galaxies: three spirals, an elliptical galaxy and a lenticular, lens-shaped one. The group is so tightly packed that all five galaxies could fit within a region of space less than twice the diameter of the Milky Way. Astronomy enthusiasts are sharing the image and marvelling at the unusually close gathering.