Collisions in Space can be like weather fronts. What if what we think we see with our most advanced telescopes is all a misinterpertation?

 When 2 cars collide head on their combined speed is what nets the force of collision.  When an asteroid hits the earth it can do great damage or burn away some of the gases in the atmosphere. When a field of asteroids hits the earth it can do a lot more damage than a single one the same size.  In space one field of stuff can collide with another field of stuff and it can be light years across and you see it light up because of the energy release when two fast moving fields collide  You can see the fall out  and  you can see the active area where the collisions are happening.  You might see reflections of the spectrum of light possible and some refraction too.  When i look at photos of massive far away formations i often wonder if there are fronts colliding and what is visible is the active area.