Hickson Compact Group

Imagine you have a group of toys, like some rubber ducks or action figures. You can play with them all together, or you can split them into smaller groups to make different games.

Scientists have found that in space, there are groups of galaxies that are like these toy groups. One of these special groups is called a Hickson Compact Group. It's a group of four to ten galaxies that are all close together and interacting with each other.

Just like when you play with your toys, these galaxies can have lots of different effects on each other. They can pull on each other with gravity, causing them to change shape or even merge together. They can also create new stars or cause explosions called supernovae.

Scientists study Hickson Compact Groups to learn more about how galaxies evolve and change over time. They can use big telescopes to look at these groups from far away and see how the different galaxies are affecting each other. It's like watching a big space game of duck-duck-goose, but with much bigger toys!