The Hubble Space Telescope’s latest stunning images have allowed scientists to solve the mystery of the Bullseye Galaxy’s plentiful rings.

Astronomers trace the striking pattern to an encounter between a big galaxy and a much smaller one some 50 million years ago.

A small blue dwarf galaxy passed through the massive Bullseye galaxy. This impact created nine rings of new stars.

The Bullseye is now confirmed to have nine rings, eight of which are visible to Hubble. Researchers confirmed the existence of the ninth ring by studying data from the W. M. Keck Observatory. That means the Bullseye has six more rings than any other known galaxy.

Hubble’s high-resolution imagery allowed researchers to hone in on more of the Bullseye galaxy’s rings — and helped confirm which galaxy dove through its core. Seabirds like the Northern Gannet dive straight into the ocean to catch fish,

The research team said these rings likely formed when a smaller galaxy shot through the heart of the Bullseye galaxy roughly 50 million years ago. “The collision triggered the creation of nine beautiful,

The Bullseye galaxy earned its nickname thanks to its wild number of rings. A smaller galaxy shot through its heart 50 million years ago to help create a cosmic wonder.

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured this striking image of an unusual galaxy with a bullseye structure, as nine rings surround its central point. Technically known as LEDA 1313424, the galaxy has more rings than any other known galaxy, and studying it is helping astronomers to learn how galaxies like this are created.

Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope have spotted a record-smashing galaxy wrapped in 9 rings of stars — along with the dwarf galaxy that violently plunged through its center.

Hubble Space Telescope discovers galaxy with unprecedented nine rings formed by cosmic collision, located 567 million light-years from Earth.