Astronomers do not often get the chance to watch as galaxies are born. Yet that may be precisely what is happening in this image of II Zwicky 23, a compact galaxy in the constellation Orion.
    The mass in the center is the galaxy itself. The vertical lines are bright stars that have been overexposed. The faint extensions along the galaxy’s apparent edge are filaments that are falling into the nucleus from a surrounding cloud of neutral hydrogen; numerous stars are being born in these extensions, increasing the galaxy’s brightness and mass.
    Some astronomers believe II Zwicky 23 is in the early stages of development, both collapsing and experiencing extensive star formation. If so, II Zwicky 23 may