NASA just casually dropped the coolest optical illusion we've seen in space

Believe it or not, we've seen a few optical illusions in space over the year. Well, we haven't seen them – the Hubble telescope has. NASA has been sharing photographs depicting unusual phenomena among the stars for a while now, but today's example might be the most impressive yet.

In a post titled 'Hubble Sees a Spiral and a Star' on its website, NASA describes how the photo features a sparkling spiral galaxy paired with a prominent star, both in the constellation Virgo. But since the star is in an entirely different galaxy, their proximity is an illusion. Like all the best optical illusions, it's a bit of a head-scratcher.

And it turns out the image represents two decades of space observation. "This image combines data from two of Hubble’s instruments: the Advanced Camera for Surveys, installed in 2002 and still in operation today, and the older Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, which was in use from 1993 to 2009," explains NASA. "The data used here were taken more than 20 years apart for two different observing programs — a real testament to Hubble’s long scientific lifetime!"

From a galaxy that looks like penguin to these breathtaking full moons, it turns out the world of outer space is a celestial treasure trove of illusions. Need convincing? Check out these 4 reality-defying optical illusions in space.