Medusa Merger
The Medusa Merger is a terrific and beautiful place in space that sits at the center of the Eye of Medusa and is roughly 500 lightyears across. It’s clear that the area is quite large but the story behind how it is named has often been compelling. It is claimed that the monster Medusa named it after her as two galaxies merged together to create the galaxy we see today. Apparently, this happened when one large galaxy collided with a smaller one that was rich in gas. The larger galaxy simply ate up the smaller one, sending out a ton of dust and stars as it did so.
Of course, it was the streams of dust spreading out into outer space that ended up giving us the name. The red strands reaching out into space are technically dust tendrils, thought to resemble snakes. Obviously, the Medusa monster is known for having hair made of living snakes. Thus, since it seemed like snakes were coming out just like Medusa’s hair, the name stuck. Some believe that Medusa upon being turned into stone by Perseus, made her way into the stars to be part of this area. Of all the legends connected to astronomy, this seems pretty cool. Either way, it is one of the most breathtaking photos captured by NASA and the ESA.