Seen here are the galaxies of HCG (Hickson Compact Group) 87, about four hundred million light-years distant in the constellation Capricornus. The large edge-on spiral near the centre, the fuzzy elliptical galaxy immediately to its right, and the spiral near the top of the image are identified members of the group, while the small spiral galaxy in the middle is likely a more distant background galaxy.
A careful examination of the deep image reveals other galaxies which certainly lie far beyond HCG 87. The HCG 87 galaxies are interacting gravitationally, influencing their fellow group members' structure and evolution. This image is from the commissioning phase of an instrument on the Gemini Observatory's South Telescope at Cerro Pachon, Chile. It compares favourably with views of this photogenic galaxy group recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope.