The collision between the two galaxies, which lie about 62 million light-years from Earth, started more than 100 million years ago and is still taking place. Photo: The two Antennae galaxies collide in this stunning recent image from three NASA telescopes

This stunning new image shows the two Antennae galaxies as the crash into one another.

The collision between the two galaxies, which lie about 62 million light-years from Earth, started more than 100 million years ago and is still taking place.

The Antennae galaxies are named after the long, antenna-like arms seen in wide-angle views of the system.

The slow-motion crash had formed millions of stars, the biggest of which have already exploded as supernovas millions of years after they were formed.

This enriched gas, which includes elements such as oxygen, iron, magnesium and silicon, will be incorporated into new generations of stars and planets.

The bright points in the image are produced by material falling onto black holes and neutron stars that are remnants of the massive stars.

Some of these black holes may have masses that are almost one hundred times that of the sun.