"Dark Energy Camera Reveals Stunning 'Onion-Like' Galaxy Layers"

The Dark Energy Camera has captured an image of the shell galaxy NGC 3923, revealing its symmetrical, onion-like layers that extend 150,000 light-years into space. These layers are believed to have formed from a galactic merger, where a larger galaxy absorbed stars from a smaller spiral galaxy. NGC 3923 is exceptional due to its large number of shells and the ratio between the radii of the outermost and innermost shells. The image also shows other galaxies and a gravitational lens, which allows astronomers to study the nature of dark matter and the expansion of the universe.