Nasa Finds 'Supermum' Star-Producing Galaxy (PICTURES)

Nasa Finds Galactic 'Supermum' Star Factory
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Above: Nasa released this artist's impression of the supermom galaxy

Nasa has found what is terming a 'supermum' galaxy, which creates stars at an almost unprecedented rate.

Using its X-Ray telescope, Nasa found the galaxy which is about 5.7 billion light years away.

The distant galaxy makes new stars at a rate of about 740 a year - compared to the one new star made in the Milky Way every twelve months.

The galaxy core is the brightest X-ray glow astronomers have ever seen.

The study, which appeared in the journal Nature, is an unprecedented find also because of its age. It is six billion years old, and it is rare for a galaxy to produce this many stars at that stage in its life.

"It's very extreme," said Harvard University's Ryan Foley, who co-wrote the research paper. "It pushes the boundaries of what we understand."

Take a look below for other amazing space pictures.