Atomic Pile-up

Two merging galaxies, known collectively as NGC 7252, form a tangled, chaotic mass in this recent image from the European Southern Observatory. The system is also known as the Atoms-for-Peace galaxies because its shape resembles the concept of an atom. At the time the name was bestowed, President Dwight Eisenhower was promoting the peaceful uses of atomic power -- a concept known as "Atoms for Peace." [ESO]