Valentine’s Day 2024: NASA rings in the day of love with a spectacular pic of ‘cosmic bloom’

People around the world are celebrating Valentine’s Day today, February 14. Couples on this day give each other gifts and go on dates.

While social media is filled with various Valentine’s Day-related posts, NASA also took to Instagram to mark the day in their own way. The space agency shared a mesmerising picture of a ‘cosmic bloom’ that seems to resemble a rose.

“Here’s a gift for your Valentine in the form of this cosmic ‘bloom.’ Located about 120 million light-years away, NGC 3256 is the result of a galactic meet-cute — when two massive spiral galaxies collided and merged about 500 million years ago,” wrote NASA as they shared the image.

While describing the image, NASA shared, “A large, face-on spiral galaxy on a black background. The core is radiating very brightly. Swirling streaks of dust glow an orange-pink in the center and across most of the galaxy. This gas is surrounded by a dark grey halo made of the galaxy’s stars. The halo stretches out into a tidal tail (a long tendril of dust and stars) at the upper left, and another at the bottom right. Dozens of small, distant stars and galaxies surround the main spiral galaxy.”

Take a look at the post here:

This post was shared a few hours ago on Instagram. Since being posted, it has garnered over 52,000 likes and numerous comments.

Check out how people reacted to it:

An individual wrote, “Certainly, it seems like a beautiful red rose.”

A second said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, NASA.”

A third posted, “It’s a beautiful photo to send to her on Valentine’s Day.”

“This is beautiful,” commented a fourth.

A fifth added, “Gorgeous! Screenshotted, saved, my love will see it soon.”