Using the Hubble telescope (along with the natural "zoom lens" of gravitational lensing) researchers over at NASA spotted this odd star structure, which they're describing as similar to both a spiral bridge and a corkscrew-shaped string of pearls. Close-ups after the jump.


Images: NASA/ESA

The structure measures in at 100,000 light-years long and is made up of a series of interspersed young star clusters, evenly spaced at every 3,000 light-years. While this star-chain phenomenon is often seen in the arms of spiral galaxies, this is the first time it's ever been observed in two merging galaxies.


So just what's going on? The appearance is due to a phenomenon called Jeans instability, which NASA explains could have unfolded several different ways:
