Cosmic Love in the Shape of a Heart

The Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which are both produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the US (NASA), have stunned the world with spectacular images from galaxies afar. A striking symbol of interstellar love is the abundance of heart-shaped structures scattered throughout the universe, formed by asteroids, stars, nebulae, and galaxies. Perhaps the most stunning heart-shaped wonder in our galaxy is the Heart Nebula, also called IC 1805. Resembling the human heart, it gracefully drifts in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way, emitting a mesmerizing pinkish-red glow visible from 7,500 light years away. Galaxy mergers, the magnificent celestial interactions between two galaxies, are especially popular among all heart-shaped celestial formations. Often dubbed a “galactic romance” or a “celestial waltz,” or “celestial dances,” these grandiose mergers are especially beautiful.

“One of the surprises that the Hubble Space Telescope has given us over its decades of observation is that galaxies have not always simply existed as independent entities. In fact, we believe now, that all galaxies typically go through at least one merger in the process to becoming what they are today.” Even at an incredible distance of 250 million light-years away, the merging of ARP 220 is one of the three closest mergers to Earth. In April 2023, NASA Webb shared this stunning image of ARP 220 captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. This is an object known as ARP 220, which is two galaxies crashing into each other. Nestled within its core are approximately 200 massive star clusters, each formed by the gravitational pull of the many stars surrounding it. It’s a wonder how the love of the cosmos mirrors the human heart. Perhaps, in turn, our hearts, across Earth and beyond, are, by design, echoes of the same celestial Love.