The Force Awakens! Hubble Space Telescope captures double-bladed lightsabre

INSIDE a galaxy not so far away, a new star was born — and it looked like a cosmic, double-bladed lightsabre.

INSIDE a galaxy not so far away, a new star is born.

Coinciding with the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured what looks like a cosmic, double-bladed lightsabre.

Obscured by a Jedi-like cloak of dust, the newborn star shoots twin jets into the Milky Way, about 1350 light-years away from Earth.

The celestial laser sword was born in the Orion B molecular cloud complex, a turbulent birthing ground for new stars, according to NASA.

Star Wars fever ... a new picture from the Hubble shows a cosmic lightsaber, the preferred weapon of a Jedi Knight. Picture: NASA

“Science fiction has been an inspiration to generations of scientists and engineers, and the film series Star Wars is no exception,” John Grunsfeld, astronaut and NASA Science Mission directorate associate administrator, said.

“There is no stronger case for the motivational power of real science than the discoveries that come from the Hubble Space Telescope as it unravels the mysteries of the universe.”

The world is in the grip of Star Wars fever, with lightsabre-wielding fans waiting for hours for a first look at the latest instalment.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the fastest-selling film of all time, smashing pre-sales for the previous record holder, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

About 41,400 fans attended midnight screenings at Event Cinemas around Australia for the big opening.

NASA isn’t the first agency to jump on the Star Wars bandwagon to plug its newest offerings, as late-night host and comedian Stephen Colbert so eloquently explained.

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