When Galaxies Attack

Startling proof of how dangerous our universe really is was recently provided to us by the boffins staffing the CSIRO's Australia Telescope. Phd student Melanie Johnston-Hollitt witnessed the gruesome mugging of a small galaxy cluster by a much

Startling proof of how dangerous our universe really is was recently provided to us by the boffins staffing the CSIRO's Australia Telescope. Phd student Melanie Johnston-Hollitt witnessed the gruesome mugging of a small galaxy cluster by a much larger cluster only a few days ago.

'Space is big. The chance of things running into each other is small,' says Professor Ron Ekers, Director of the Australia Telescope National Facility. 'Until now there has been only weak evidence that clusters might collide.' And now, by witnessing this remarkably violent act, Ms Johnston-Hollit has provided that evidence. You can check out a police artist's sketch of the crime by clicking here .

The brutal encounter was described by Ms Johnston-Hollitt as like 'the Titanic hitting an iceberg'. The name of the victim has not yet been released to the public, but the perpetrator has been identified as Abell 3667. Investigators are expected to reach the crime scene in approximately 800 million years, barring any relativistic effects or the intervention of alien minds immeasurably greater than our own.