NASA Hubble observes image of spiral galaxy being ripped apart - Video

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of a galaxy being pulled apart in deep space. 

The telescope took the picture of the galaxy, as it moved through a cluster of galaxies known as the Norma Cluster (Abell 3627). 

This area of the sky is also known as the 'Great Attractor,' because of the enormous gravitational forces being exerted here.

This is a Panoramic view of the entire near-infrared sky. 

The location of the Great Attractor is shown following the long blue arrow at bottom-right. 

The apparent destructive process observed by the Hubble Space Telescope is known as ram pressure stripping.

’Ram pressure stripping’ occurs if the intra-cluster gas, in the form of a ‘wind,’ is strong enough to overcome the gravitational potential of the galaxy to remove the gas contained within it. 

The image was actually taken in 2009, but it takes scientists years to study the complex images Hubble brings them.