No two galaxies are exactly alike. Rather each galaxy in the universe is considered to be like a fingerprint. There may be similarities between two galaxies but it is almost inconceivable that two galaxies would be identical twins of each other.

It is because of this scientific community was surprised as astronomer Timothy Hamilton found two galaxies that appeared to be twins of each other.

The object is now called Hamilton's Object.

"My first thought was that maybe they were interacting galaxies with tidally stretched-out arms. It didn't really fit well, but I didn't know what else to think," Hamilton has been quoted as saying by NASA.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-catch-unexpected-radio-signals-from-distant-stars-420244">Scientists catch unexpected radio signals from distant stars</a>

As scientific world pondered over reasons why these galaxies would have been twins, astronomer Richard Griffiths of the University of Hawaii proposed his view.

He said that the Hamilton's Object was seen as two galaxies due to 'gravitational lensing'

Gravitational lensing is a phenomenon that occurs due chance alignment of a massive space object between us and another distant object. The light coming from the distant object 'bends' due to massive gravity of the object situated nearer to us. As the light travels along the space-time curvature of the massive object,&nbsp;a single distant object appears as two.

No two galaxies are exactly alike. Rather each galaxy in the universe is considered to be like a fingerprint. There may be similarities between two galaxies but it is almost inconceivable that two galaxies would be identical twins of each other.

No two galaxies are exactly alike. Rather each galaxy in the universe is considered to be like a fingerprint. There may be similarities between two galaxies but it is almost inconceivable that two galaxies would be identical twins of each other. It is because of this scientific community was surprised as astronomer Timothy Hamilton found two galaxies that appeared to be twins of each other. The object is now called Hamilton's Object. "My first thought was that maybe they were interacting galaxies with tidally stretched-out arms. It didn't really fit well, but I didn't know what else to think," Hamilton has been quoted as saying by NASA. Also Read | Scientists catch unexpected radio signals from distant stars As scientific world pondered over reasons why these galaxies would have been twins, astronomer Richard Griffiths of the University of Hawaii proposed his view. He said that the Hamilton's Object was seen as two galaxies due to 'gravitational lensing' Gravitational lensing is a phenomenon that occurs due chance alignment of a massive space object between us and another distant object. The light coming from the distant object 'bends' due to massive gravity of the object situated nearer to us. As the light travels along the space-time curvature of the massive object, a single distant object appears as two.

Mystery of two 'identical galaxies' solved

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