【The Playbirds】

Sometimes,The Playbirds an outrageously bright star can outshine an entire galaxy, but only if you're looking from the right spot.

A new photo taken by the Hubble Space Telescope reveals a bright star in the foreground upstaging a galaxy light-years from Earth.

SEE ALSO: Enjoy this beautiful photo of a starburst galaxy, courtesy of Hubble

While it looks like the star -- named TYC 3203-450-1 -- and the galaxy -- called NGC 7250 -- are right next to each other, that's just a trick of the eye.

The star is actually much closer to the Hubble than the more distant galaxy. NGC 7250 -- which is bursting with star formation -- is about 45 million light-years away, while TYC 3203-450-1, located in the constellation Lacerta (The Lizard), is one million times closer, according to NASA.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

"If the star were the same distance from us as NGC 7250, it would hardly be visible in this image," NASA said in a statement.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The Hubble has transformed our view of the universe over the course of its 27 years in orbit.

The telescope has taken photo after unbelievable photo of distant galaxies and other cosmic objects, helping us understand more of what surrounds us in the cosmos.

NASA should continue operating the Hubble through at least 2020, but its replacement is already in the works.

The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to launch in 2018 and serve as the Hubble's successor.

---

Featured Video For You

---

The best movie shots of all time

---

• Social Good
• Tech
• Entertainment
• Shopping
• Life
• Digital Culture
• Deals
• Science

• Draper vs. Kokkinakis 2025 livestream: Watch Australian Open for free
• Blue Eyes in Watertown by Matt Domino
• Last Chance, Poseurs! Win a Briefcase by Sadie Stein
• Introducing Our Sixtieth
• How to quit social media: This Gen Z
• Literary Vinyl by Sadie Stein
• Fitness for Writers, and Other News by Sadie Stein
• Think of Me Fondly by Matthew Smith
• Lego free Valentine's Day Heart: How to get free Lego
• Introducing Our Sixtieth

• Twitter's Melbourne Cup livestream could change how we 'broadcast' sport
• #HillaryForPrision is trending, but not for the reason Clinton haters think
• Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson dances in Pikachu costume for his baby daughter
• This is how the White House is readying for a digital transition
• Australia's coming for the Eurovision crown again, geography be damned
• Future car displays will let drivers point at the windscreen and swipe to select the next song
• 10 of the hottest Samsung Note7 costumes this Halloween
• Do or die: What you need to know about World Series Game 6
• Wild Bieber sightings reported across Scotland and Ireland
• 3 ways your brain tricks you into using the wrong credit cards (and how to stop it)

• Best Xbox Elite Series 2 deal: Save $32 on this pro
• Teen Writers, and Other News by Sadie Stein
• DFW: the Trading Card, and Other News by Sadie Stein
• Last Chance, Poseurs! Win a Briefcase by Sadie Stein
• Apple, Tesla, Spotify: The tech announcements that never happened in 2024
• Save the Date: The Paris Review Revel by The Paris Review
• Cult Classic: Defining Katherine Mansfield by Kirsten O'Regan
• Many Happy Returns, John Steinbeck by Sadie Stein
• Super Bowl LIX livestream: Watch Eagles vs Chiefs on Tubi
• Many Happy Returns, John Steinbeck by Sadie Stein

• We'll always, er, sorta, have the Paris Climate Agreement
• Emergent by Jill Talbot
• Here We Are: On the Occasion of Philip Roth’s Eightieth Birthday by Je Banach
• Teen Writers, and Other News by Sadie Stein
• Broncos vs. Bills 2025 livestream: How to watch NFL online
• Show Us Your Soulful Side to Win a Briefcase by Sadie Stein
• Show Us Your Soulful Side to Win a Briefcase by Sadie Stein
• Happy Birthday, Robert Frost by Sadie Stein
• Everything Alienware announced at CES 2025
• Indian Comics, Professor Nabokov, and Other News by Sadie Stein