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Globular cluster G1 (Mayall II) - Globular cluster G1 (Mayall II) - The G1 globular cluster is the brightest globular cluster in the group of about thirty galaxies known as the Local Group (including the Lactee Way). It is orbiting the Andromede galaxy and contains at least 300,000 stars. This image is a composite of visible and near infrared images obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope in July 1994. Hubble Space Telescope has captured a view of a globular cluster called G1, a large, bright ball of light in the center of the photograph consisting of at least 300,000 old stars. G1, also known as Mayall II, orbits the Andromeda galaxy (M31), the nearest major spiral galaxy to our Milky Way. Located 130,000 light - years from Andromeda's nucleus, G1 is the brightest globular cluster in the Local Group of galaxies. The Local Group consists of about 20 nearby galaxies, including the Milky Way. A glimpse into the cluster's finer details allow astronomers to see its fainter helium - burning

Globular cluster G1 (Mayall II) - Globular cluster G1 (Mayall II) - The G1 globular cluster is the brightest globular cluster in the group of about thirty galaxies known as the Local Group (including the Lactee Way). It is orbiting the Andromede galaxy and contains at least 300,000 stars. This image is a composite of visible and near infrared images obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope in July 1994. Hubble Space Telescope has captured a view of a globular cluster called G1, a large, bright ball of light in the center of the photograph consisting of at least 300,000 old stars. G1, also known as Mayall II, orbits the Andromeda galaxy (M31), the nearest major spiral galaxy to our Milky Way. Located 130,000 light - years from Andromeda's nucleus, G1 is the brightest globular cluster in the Local Group of galaxies. The Local Group consists of about 20 nearby galaxies, including the Milky Way. A glimpse into the cluster's finer details allow astronomers to see its fainter helium - burning

PIX4565191

The cluster of galaxies in Fornax - The cluster of galaxies in Fornax - clusters of galaxies situated about 55 million years ago - light. In the center of the image is the barree spiral galaxy NGC 1365; at the bottom right of the image, the interaction galaxy NGC 1316 - 17 (Fornax A), which is one of the strongest known radiosource. Galaxies can be separated by their appearance into two broad groups, spirals and ellipticals. An example of a spiral galaxy, NGC 1365, is seen in center of this picture. In contrast, most of the galaxies in this cluster are ellipticals, which contain little or no gas or evidence of star formation; indeed they are composed millions of rather old, yellowish stars. Unlike many of the stars in spiral systems, those in ellipticals have orbits which are not confined to a narrow plane, so the galaxy can have a shape anywhere between a perfect sphere and an American football. This kind of galaxy is the most common type in the photograph as it is in all of the nearb

The cluster of galaxies in Fornax - The cluster of galaxies in Fornax - clusters of galaxies situated about 55 million years ago - light. In the center of the image is the barree spiral galaxy NGC 1365; at the bottom right of the image, the interaction galaxy NGC 1316 - 17 (Fornax A), which is one of the strongest known radiosource. Galaxies can be separated by their appearance into two broad groups, spirals and ellipticals. An example of a spiral galaxy, NGC 1365, is seen in center of this picture. In contrast, most of the galaxies in this cluster are ellipticals, which contain little or no gas or evidence of star formation; indeed they are composed millions of rather old, yellowish stars. Unlike many of the stars in spiral systems, those in ellipticals have orbits which are not confined to a narrow plane, so the galaxy can have a shape anywhere between a perfect sphere and an American football. This kind of galaxy is the most common type in the photograph as it is in all of the nearb

PIX4565370

Interacting galaxies NGC 1614 - Interacting galaxies NGC 1614 - The galaxy NGC 1614 is located about 200 million light years away from Earth in the southern constellation of Eridan. This system is composed of interacting galaxies. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope on August 13, 2002. The galaxy system NGC 1614 has a bright optical center and two clear inner spiral arms that are fairly symmetrical. It also has a spectacular outer structure that consists principally of a large one - sided curved extension of one of these arms to the lower right, and a long, almost straight tail that emerges from the nucleus and crosses the extended arm to the upper right. The galaxy appears to be the result of a tidal interaction and the resulting merger of two predecessor systems. The system has a nuclear region of quasar - like luminosity, but shows no direct evidence for an active nucleus. It is heavily and unevenly reddened across its nucleus, while infrared imaging also shows a ridge of d

Interacting galaxies NGC 1614 - Interacting galaxies NGC 1614 - The galaxy NGC 1614 is located about 200 million light years away from Earth in the southern constellation of Eridan. This system is composed of interacting galaxies. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope on August 13, 2002. The galaxy system NGC 1614 has a bright optical center and two clear inner spiral arms that are fairly symmetrical. It also has a spectacular outer structure that consists principally of a large one - sided curved extension of one of these arms to the lower right, and a long, almost straight tail that emerges from the nucleus and crosses the extended arm to the upper right. The galaxy appears to be the result of a tidal interaction and the resulting merger of two predecessor systems. The system has a nuclear region of quasar - like luminosity, but shows no direct evidence for an active nucleus. It is heavily and unevenly reddened across its nucleus, while infrared imaging also shows a ridge of d

PIX4609963

Spiral Galaxy NGC 4921 - Unusual Spiral NGC 4921 in the Coma Galaxy Cluster - Galaxy NGC 4921 photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Located in the cluster of Coma galaxies (Abell 1656) is about 320 million light years old, this spiral galaxy presents an unusual structure with poorly marked arms; some young blue stars are visible but the activity of star formation here is much less strong than in other spiral galaxies. In the background, many more distant galaxies appear. This very deep image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the spiral galaxy NGC 4921 along with a spectacular backdrop of more distant galaxies. It was created from a total of 80 separate pictures through yellow and near - infrared filters. The Coma Galaxy Cluster, in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices, the hair of Queen Berenice, is one of the closest very rich collections of galaxies in the nearby Universe. The cluster, also known as Abell 1656, is about 320 million light - years

Spiral Galaxy NGC 4921 - Unusual Spiral NGC 4921 in the Coma Galaxy Cluster - Galaxy NGC 4921 photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Located in the cluster of Coma galaxies (Abell 1656) is about 320 million light years old, this spiral galaxy presents an unusual structure with poorly marked arms; some young blue stars are visible but the activity of star formation here is much less strong than in other spiral galaxies. In the background, many more distant galaxies appear. This very deep image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the spiral galaxy NGC 4921 along with a spectacular backdrop of more distant galaxies. It was created from a total of 80 separate pictures through yellow and near - infrared filters. The Coma Galaxy Cluster, in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices, the hair of Queen Berenice, is one of the closest very rich collections of galaxies in the nearby Universe. The cluster, also known as Abell 1656, is about 320 million light - years

PIX4612079

Distant galaxies in the Fornax constellation - Distant galaxies in the Fornax constellation - Image of distant galaxies obtained by the Hubble space telescope in the constellation Forneau in September 2003. This image represents a typical view of our distant universe. In taking this picture, Hubble is looking down a long corridor of galaxies stretching billions of light - years distant in space, corresponding to looking billions of years back in time. The field shown in this picture covers a relatively small patch of sky, a fraction of the area of the full moon, yet it is richly populated with a variety of galaxy types. A handful of large fully formed galaxies are scattered throughout the image. These galaxies are easy to see because they are relatively close to us. Several of the galaxies are spirals with flat disks that are oriented edge - on or face - on to our line of sight, or somewhere in between. Elliptical galaxies and more exotic galaxies with bars or tidal tails are also visi

Distant galaxies in the Fornax constellation - Distant galaxies in the Fornax constellation - Image of distant galaxies obtained by the Hubble space telescope in the constellation Forneau in September 2003. This image represents a typical view of our distant universe. In taking this picture, Hubble is looking down a long corridor of galaxies stretching billions of light - years distant in space, corresponding to looking billions of years back in time. The field shown in this picture covers a relatively small patch of sky, a fraction of the area of the full moon, yet it is richly populated with a variety of galaxy types. A handful of large fully formed galaxies are scattered throughout the image. These galaxies are easy to see because they are relatively close to us. Several of the galaxies are spirals with flat disks that are oriented edge - on or face - on to our line of sight, or somewhere in between. Elliptical galaxies and more exotic galaxies with bars or tidal tails are also visi

PIX4613828

Spiral Galaxy NGC 4921 - Galaxy Spiral NGC 4921 - Galaxy NGC 4921 photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Located in the cluster of Coma galaxies (Abell 1656) is about 320 million light years old, this spiral galaxy presents an unusual structure with poorly marked arms; some young blue stars are visible but the activity of star formation here is much less strong than in other spiral galaxies. In the background, many more distant galaxies appear. This very deep image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the spiral galaxy NGC 4921 along with a spectacular backdrop of more distant galaxies. The Coma Galaxy Cluster, in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices, the hair of Queen Berenice, is one of the closest very rich collections of galaxies in the nearby Universe. The cluster, also known as Abell 1656, is about 320 million light - years from Earth and contains more than 1000 members. The brightest galaxies, including NGC 4921 shown here, were discovered back

Spiral Galaxy NGC 4921 - Galaxy Spiral NGC 4921 - Galaxy NGC 4921 photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Located in the cluster of Coma galaxies (Abell 1656) is about 320 million light years old, this spiral galaxy presents an unusual structure with poorly marked arms; some young blue stars are visible but the activity of star formation here is much less strong than in other spiral galaxies. In the background, many more distant galaxies appear. This very deep image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the spiral galaxy NGC 4921 along with a spectacular backdrop of more distant galaxies. The Coma Galaxy Cluster, in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices, the hair of Queen Berenice, is one of the closest very rich collections of galaxies in the nearby Universe. The cluster, also known as Abell 1656, is about 320 million light - years from Earth and contains more than 1000 members. The brightest galaxies, including NGC 4921 shown here, were discovered back

PIX4612034

Star births in the nebula NGC 6729 - Young stars in the nebula NGC 6729 - Close up on a star-forming region. The new stars are invisible, hidden behind the dust cloud at the top left of the image, but the material they eject at very high speed causes colorful and luminous arcs in contact with the surrounding gas. Image obtained in Chile with the VLT. This very detailed false - colour image from Eso's Very Large Telescope shows the dramatic effects of very young stars on the dust and gas from which they were born in the star - forming region NGC 6729. The baby stars are invisible in this picture, being hidden behind dust clouds at the upper left of the picture, but material they are ejecting is crashing into the surroundings at speeds of that can be as high as one million kilometres per hour. These shocks cause the gas to shine and create the strangely coloured glowing arcs and blobs known as Herbig - Haro objects. In this view the Herbig - Haro objects form two lines marking out the pr

Star births in the nebula NGC 6729 - Young stars in the nebula NGC 6729 - Close up on a star-forming region. The new stars are invisible, hidden behind the dust cloud at the top left of the image, but the material they eject at very high speed causes colorful and luminous arcs in contact with the surrounding gas. Image obtained in Chile with the VLT. This very detailed false - colour image from Eso's Very Large Telescope shows the dramatic effects of very young stars on the dust and gas from which they were born in the star - forming region NGC 6729. The baby stars are invisible in this picture, being hidden behind dust clouds at the upper left of the picture, but material they are ejecting is crashing into the surroundings at speeds of that can be as high as one million kilometres per hour. These shocks cause the gas to shine and create the strangely coloured glowing arcs and blobs known as Herbig - Haro objects. In this view the Herbig - Haro objects form two lines marking out the pr

PIX4620300

Star cluster M46 and M47 and NGC 2438 in the stern - Open clusters M46 and M47 - M46 (NGC 2437), on the left, is a cluster of age stars located at 5400 years - light. It contains about 500 stars, 150 of which are brilliant. It is about 300 million years old. The planetary nebula NGC 2438 does not appear to belong to this cluster, and must be closer although its distance is unknown. On the right, cluster M47 (NGC 2422). Between the two clusters we can see a third one: NGC 2425. M46 and M47 are two open clusters that lie a little more than 1 degree apart in the sky in the constellation of Pupis. M46, containing planetary nebula NGC 2438, is seen at left in this photo, and M47 is at right. M47 is a bright cluster that can be seen with the unaided eye under dark skies. It is comprised of about 30 stars, and is 30 arc minutes in diameter and has an overall brightness of 4.4 magnitude

Star cluster M46 and M47 and NGC 2438 in the stern - Open clusters M46 and M47 - M46 (NGC 2437), on the left, is a cluster of age stars located at 5400 years - light. It contains about 500 stars, 150 of which are brilliant. It is about 300 million years old. The planetary nebula NGC 2438 does not appear to belong to this cluster, and must be closer although its distance is unknown. On the right, cluster M47 (NGC 2422). Between the two clusters we can see a third one: NGC 2425. M46 and M47 are two open clusters that lie a little more than 1 degree apart in the sky in the constellation of Pupis. M46, containing planetary nebula NGC 2438, is seen at left in this photo, and M47 is at right. M47 is a bright cluster that can be seen with the unaided eye under dark skies. It is comprised of about 30 stars, and is 30 arc minutes in diameter and has an overall brightness of 4.4 magnitude

Vincent Toporenko

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Mars - View of the south pole - Mars South pole - Image of part of the southern polar cap of Mars obtained by the Mars Express probe on December 17, 2012. The bright white region of this image shows the icy cap that covers Mars' south pole, composed of frozen water and carbon dioxide. While it looks smooth in this image, at close quarters the cap is a layered mix of peaks, troughs and flat plains, and has been likened in appearance to swiss cheese. The southern cap reaches some 3 km thick in places, and is around 350 km in diameter. This icy region is permanent; in the martian winter another, thinner ice cap forms over the top of it, stretching further out across the planet and disappearing again when the weather warms up. The cap is around 150 km north of Mars' geographical south pole and Mars Express has shed light on why this ice cap is displaced. Deep impact craters - notably the Hellas Basin, the largest impact structure on the entire planet at 7 km deep and 2300 km across - funne

Mars - View of the south pole - Mars South pole - Image of part of the southern polar cap of Mars obtained by the Mars Express probe on December 17, 2012. The bright white region of this image shows the icy cap that covers Mars' south pole, composed of frozen water and carbon dioxide. While it looks smooth in this image, at close quarters the cap is a layered mix of peaks, troughs and flat plains, and has been likened in appearance to swiss cheese. The southern cap reaches some 3 km thick in places, and is around 350 km in diameter. This icy region is permanent; in the martian winter another, thinner ice cap forms over the top of it, stretching further out across the planet and disappearing again when the weather warms up. The cap is around 150 km north of Mars' geographical south pole and Mars Express has shed light on why this ice cap is displaced. Deep impact craters - notably the Hellas Basin, the largest impact structure on the entire planet at 7 km deep and 2300 km across - funne

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Spiral galaxy NGC 7331 in Pegase - Spiral galaxy NGC 7331 in Pegasus: The galaxy NGC 7331 is located about 45 million light years away from Earth. Image obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 7331 is located about 45 million light-years away in the constellation of Pegasus (The Winged Horse). Facing us partially edge-on, the galaxy showcases it's beautiful arms which swirl like a whirlpool around its bright central region. Astronomers took this image using Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), as they were observing an extraordinary exploding star - a supernova - which can still be faintly seen as a tiny red dot near the galaxy's central yellow core. Named SN2014C, it rapidly evolved from a supernova containing very little Hydrogen to one that is Hydrogen-rich - in just one year. This rarely observed metamorphosis was luminous at high energies and provides unique insight into the poorly understood final phases of massive stars. NGC 7331 is similar in size, shape, and mass to the

Spiral galaxy NGC 7331 in Pegase - Spiral galaxy NGC 7331 in Pegasus: The galaxy NGC 7331 is located about 45 million light years away from Earth. Image obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 7331 is located about 45 million light-years away in the constellation of Pegasus (The Winged Horse). Facing us partially edge-on, the galaxy showcases it's beautiful arms which swirl like a whirlpool around its bright central region. Astronomers took this image using Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), as they were observing an extraordinary exploding star - a supernova - which can still be faintly seen as a tiny red dot near the galaxy's central yellow core. Named SN2014C, it rapidly evolved from a supernova containing very little Hydrogen to one that is Hydrogen-rich - in just one year. This rarely observed metamorphosis was luminous at high energies and provides unique insight into the poorly understood final phases of massive stars. NGC 7331 is similar in size, shape, and mass to the

PIX4613167

Interacting galaxies NGC 4038 - 4039 in the Raven - The Antennae galaxy in Corvus - On the left, seen from the ground of the galaxy NGC 4038 - 39 (antenna galaxy), located about 45 million years ago - light. These two galaxies are interacting. The collision started at least 100 million years ago causes intense star formation. On the right, the image made by the space telescope Hubble on 20 January 1996 shows in detail the nuclei of these two twin galaxies surrounded by young clusters of blue stars, more than 1000, made up of young and massive stars. At left, a ground - based telescopic view of the Antennae galaxies (known formally as NGC 4038/4039) - so named because a pair of long tails of luminous matter, formed by the gravitational tidal forces of their encounter, resemble an insect's antennae. The galaxies are located 45 million light - years away in the southern constellation Corvus. At right, the respective cores of the twin galaxies are the orange blobs, left and right of image

Interacting galaxies NGC 4038 - 4039 in the Raven - The Antennae galaxy in Corvus - On the left, seen from the ground of the galaxy NGC 4038 - 39 (antenna galaxy), located about 45 million years ago - light. These two galaxies are interacting. The collision started at least 100 million years ago causes intense star formation. On the right, the image made by the space telescope Hubble on 20 January 1996 shows in detail the nuclei of these two twin galaxies surrounded by young clusters of blue stars, more than 1000, made up of young and massive stars. At left, a ground - based telescopic view of the Antennae galaxies (known formally as NGC 4038/4039) - so named because a pair of long tails of luminous matter, formed by the gravitational tidal forces of their encounter, resemble an insect's antennae. The galaxies are located 45 million light - years away in the southern constellation Corvus. At right, the respective cores of the twin galaxies are the orange blobs, left and right of image

PIX4611051

Nebula of the Lagoon (M8) in Sagittarius - The Lagoon nebula (M8) in Sagittarius - View of the Nebula of the Lagoon (M8/NGC 6523). Located in Sagittarius, at a distance of 5800 years - light, it is visible to the naked eye in good conditions. It is a star-forming region illuminated by several large O-type stars that belong to the open cluster NGC 6530 visible towards the center of the image. The brightest part of the nebula is called the hourglass nebula whose gases are excited mainly by two massive supergeant stars Herschel 36 and 9 Sagittarii. M8 has at least 60 Giant B stars, 3 to 4 times more than the Orion Nebula. The Lagoon nebula (M8), can be visible to the unaided eye as a small bright patch above the large Sagittarius star cloud in the Milky Way. The Lagoon nebula is a star - forming region about 5800 light years from us. The nebula is illuminated by several O - type giants within the open cluster NGC 6530 near the center of the nebula. The brightest part of the nebula is know

Nebula of the Lagoon (M8) in Sagittarius - The Lagoon nebula (M8) in Sagittarius - View of the Nebula of the Lagoon (M8/NGC 6523). Located in Sagittarius, at a distance of 5800 years - light, it is visible to the naked eye in good conditions. It is a star-forming region illuminated by several large O-type stars that belong to the open cluster NGC 6530 visible towards the center of the image. The brightest part of the nebula is called the hourglass nebula whose gases are excited mainly by two massive supergeant stars Herschel 36 and 9 Sagittarii. M8 has at least 60 Giant B stars, 3 to 4 times more than the Orion Nebula. The Lagoon nebula (M8), can be visible to the unaided eye as a small bright patch above the large Sagittarius star cloud in the Milky Way. The Lagoon nebula is a star - forming region about 5800 light years from us. The nebula is illuminated by several O - type giants within the open cluster NGC 6530 near the center of the nebula. The brightest part of the nebula is know

PIX4619593

Barree spiral galaxy NGC 7098 - Barred spiral galaxy NGC 7098: The barree spiral galaxy NGC 7098 is located about 95 million light years away from Earth in the southern constellation of the octant. Image obtained by the Very Large Telescope (VLT). Approximately 95 million light-years away, in the southern constellation of Octans (The Octant), lies NGC 7098 - an intriguing spiral galaxy with numerous sets of double features. The first of NGC 7098's double features is a duo of distinct ring-like structures that loop around the galaxy's hazy heart. This central region hosts a second double feature: a double bar. NGC 7098 has also developed features known as ansae, visible as small, bright streaks at each end of the central region. Ansae are visible areas of overdensity - they commonly take looping, linear, or circular shapes, and can be found at the extremities of planetary ring systems, in nebulous clouds, and, as is the case with NGC 7098, in parts of galaxies that are packed to the bri

Barree spiral galaxy NGC 7098 - Barred spiral galaxy NGC 7098: The barree spiral galaxy NGC 7098 is located about 95 million light years away from Earth in the southern constellation of the octant. Image obtained by the Very Large Telescope (VLT). Approximately 95 million light-years away, in the southern constellation of Octans (The Octant), lies NGC 7098 - an intriguing spiral galaxy with numerous sets of double features. The first of NGC 7098's double features is a duo of distinct ring-like structures that loop around the galaxy's hazy heart. This central region hosts a second double feature: a double bar. NGC 7098 has also developed features known as ansae, visible as small, bright streaks at each end of the central region. Ansae are visible areas of overdensity - they commonly take looping, linear, or circular shapes, and can be found at the extremities of planetary ring systems, in nebulous clouds, and, as is the case with NGC 7098, in parts of galaxies that are packed to the bri

PIX4574313

Detail of the globular cluster 47 Toucan - Starfield in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, NGC 104 - The globular cluster 47 Toucan (or NGC 104) is visible to the naked eye from the southern hemisphere. Located about 15000 years ago - light it contains several million stars, some of which are among the older stars known today. This image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope shows a detail of this cluster near its center; about 35,000 stars are visible. This image shows the Hubble telescope's close - up look at a swarm of 35, 000 stars near the club's central region. The stars are tightly packed together: They are much closer together than our Sun and its closest stars. The picture, taken by the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, depicts the stars' natural colors and tells scientists about their composition and age. For example, the red stars denote bright red giants nearing the end of their lives; the more common yellow stars are similar to our middle - aged Sun

Detail of the globular cluster 47 Toucan - Starfield in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, NGC 104 - The globular cluster 47 Toucan (or NGC 104) is visible to the naked eye from the southern hemisphere. Located about 15000 years ago - light it contains several million stars, some of which are among the older stars known today. This image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope shows a detail of this cluster near its center; about 35,000 stars are visible. This image shows the Hubble telescope's close - up look at a swarm of 35, 000 stars near the club's central region. The stars are tightly packed together: They are much closer together than our Sun and its closest stars. The picture, taken by the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, depicts the stars' natural colors and tells scientists about their composition and age. For example, the red stars denote bright red giants nearing the end of their lives; the more common yellow stars are similar to our middle - aged Sun

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Stars in the globular cluster Omega Centauri - Omega Centauri seen by Hubble space telescope - Located 16,000 years ago - light from Earth in the southern constellation of Centaur, Omega Centauri contains several million stars and is one of the most ancient objects in our galaxy. This image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope in July 2009 shows only a small part of this cluster, where 100,000 stars are visible. Hubble Space Telescope snapped this panoramic view of a colorful assortment of 100,000 stars residing in the crowded core of a giant star cluster. The image reveals a small region inside the massive globular cluster Omega Centauri, which boasts nearly 10 million stars. The stars in Omega Centauri are between 10 billion and 12 billion years old. The cluster lies about 16,000 light - years from Earth. This is one of the first images taken by the new Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), installed aboard Hubble in May 2009, during Servicing Mission 4. The majority of the stars in the imag

Stars in the globular cluster Omega Centauri - Omega Centauri seen by Hubble space telescope - Located 16,000 years ago - light from Earth in the southern constellation of Centaur, Omega Centauri contains several million stars and is one of the most ancient objects in our galaxy. This image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope in July 2009 shows only a small part of this cluster, where 100,000 stars are visible. Hubble Space Telescope snapped this panoramic view of a colorful assortment of 100,000 stars residing in the crowded core of a giant star cluster. The image reveals a small region inside the massive globular cluster Omega Centauri, which boasts nearly 10 million stars. The stars in Omega Centauri are between 10 billion and 12 billion years old. The cluster lies about 16,000 light - years from Earth. This is one of the first images taken by the new Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), installed aboard Hubble in May 2009, during Servicing Mission 4. The majority of the stars in the imag

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Planet around the star Fomalhaut - Planet orbiting star Fomalhaut - First visible light photo of an extrasolar planet obtained by the space telescope Hubble. The planet called Fomalhaut b, is a planet with a mass close to Jupiter, orbiting the star Fomalhaut, 25 years - light from Earth in the constellation of Southern Fish. The star Fomalhaut (indicated by a white dot) is hidden here to show the dust disc surrounding it and the position of the planet. Located at a distance of about four times that separating Neptune from the Sun, Fomalhaut b makes a complete orbit around its star in 872 years. November 2008 - This image, taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the newly discovered planet, Fomalhaut b, orbiting its parent star, Fomalhaut. The small white box at lower right pinpoints the planet's location. Fomalhaut b has carved a path along the inner edge of a vast, dusty debris ring encircling Fomalhaut that is 34.5 billion kilomete

Planet around the star Fomalhaut - Planet orbiting star Fomalhaut - First visible light photo of an extrasolar planet obtained by the space telescope Hubble. The planet called Fomalhaut b, is a planet with a mass close to Jupiter, orbiting the star Fomalhaut, 25 years - light from Earth in the constellation of Southern Fish. The star Fomalhaut (indicated by a white dot) is hidden here to show the dust disc surrounding it and the position of the planet. Located at a distance of about four times that separating Neptune from the Sun, Fomalhaut b makes a complete orbit around its star in 872 years. November 2008 - This image, taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the newly discovered planet, Fomalhaut b, orbiting its parent star, Fomalhaut. The small white box at lower right pinpoints the planet's location. Fomalhaut b has carved a path along the inner edge of a vast, dusty debris ring encircling Fomalhaut that is 34.5 billion kilomete

PIX4573100

Planet around the star Fomalhaut - Planet orbiting star Fomalhaut - First visible light photo of an extrasolar planet obtained by the space telescope Hubble. The planet called Fomalhaut b, is a planet with a mass close to Jupiter, orbiting the star Fomalhaut, 25 years - light from Earth in the constellation of Southern Fish. The star Fomalhaut (indicated by a white dot) is hidden here to show the dust disc surrounding it and the position of the planet. Located at a distance of about four times that separating Neptune from the Sun, Fomalhaut b makes a complete orbit around its star in 872 years. November 2008 - This image, taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the newly discovered planet, Fomalhaut b, orbiting its parent star, Fomalhaut. The small white box at lower right pinpoints the planet's location. Fomalhaut b has carved a path along the inner edge of a vast, dusty debris ring encircling Fomalhaut that is 34.5 billion kilomete

Planet around the star Fomalhaut - Planet orbiting star Fomalhaut - First visible light photo of an extrasolar planet obtained by the space telescope Hubble. The planet called Fomalhaut b, is a planet with a mass close to Jupiter, orbiting the star Fomalhaut, 25 years - light from Earth in the constellation of Southern Fish. The star Fomalhaut (indicated by a white dot) is hidden here to show the dust disc surrounding it and the position of the planet. Located at a distance of about four times that separating Neptune from the Sun, Fomalhaut b makes a complete orbit around its star in 872 years. November 2008 - This image, taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the newly discovered planet, Fomalhaut b, orbiting its parent star, Fomalhaut. The small white box at lower right pinpoints the planet's location. Fomalhaut b has carved a path along the inner edge of a vast, dusty debris ring encircling Fomalhaut that is 34.5 billion kilomete

PIX4573107

Planetary nebula M57 (NGC 6720) in Lyra - The Ring nebula M57 in Lyra - The planetary nebula of Lyra (M57) is located about 2000 years - light from Earth. A planetary nebula is a gas shell from a small late-life star whose heart collapsed to become a white dwarf and expelled the outer layers of its matter. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope and the Large Binocular Telescope. In this composite image, visible - light observations by Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope are combined with infrared data from the ground - based Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona to assemble a dramatic view of the well - known Ring Nebula. Called a planetary nebula, the Ring Nebula is the glowing remains of a Sun - like star. The object is tilted towards Earth so that astronomers see the ring face - on. The Hubble observations reveal that the nebula's shape is more complicated than astronomers thought. The blue gas in the nebula's center is actually a football - shaped structure that pierces the red doug

Planetary nebula M57 (NGC 6720) in Lyra - The Ring nebula M57 in Lyra - The planetary nebula of Lyra (M57) is located about 2000 years - light from Earth. A planetary nebula is a gas shell from a small late-life star whose heart collapsed to become a white dwarf and expelled the outer layers of its matter. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope and the Large Binocular Telescope. In this composite image, visible - light observations by Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope are combined with infrared data from the ground - based Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona to assemble a dramatic view of the well - known Ring Nebula. Called a planetary nebula, the Ring Nebula is the glowing remains of a Sun - like star. The object is tilted towards Earth so that astronomers see the ring face - on. The Hubble observations reveal that the nebula's shape is more complicated than astronomers thought. The blue gas in the nebula's center is actually a football - shaped structure that pierces the red doug

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Dark Stars and Nebulae in Sagittarius - The Star Clouds of Sagittarius - Star Field towards the center of our galaxy. The bright star towards the center of the image is Gamma of Sagittarius. Image obtained from the 1.2m Schmidt UK telescope of Siding Spring. Orbiting round the centre of our Galaxy are found huge numbers of stars which are mostly faint, cool and often billions of years old. They are as ancient as the Galaxy itself. These stars are seen with the unaided eye as the hazy star clouds of the southern Milky Way, especially rich in Sagittarius. Our line of sight in this direction is strongly affected by dust, which reveals itself by both dimming the starlight passing through it and by selectively removing the blue light, changing the apparent colour to a deeper yellow. Though the colour change is only seen in photographs such as this, the dustiness of the Milky Way is obvious to the unaided eye. Near the centre of the picture is a region known as Baade's Window after the astro

Dark Stars and Nebulae in Sagittarius - The Star Clouds of Sagittarius - Star Field towards the center of our galaxy. The bright star towards the center of the image is Gamma of Sagittarius. Image obtained from the 1.2m Schmidt UK telescope of Siding Spring. Orbiting round the centre of our Galaxy are found huge numbers of stars which are mostly faint, cool and often billions of years old. They are as ancient as the Galaxy itself. These stars are seen with the unaided eye as the hazy star clouds of the southern Milky Way, especially rich in Sagittarius. Our line of sight in this direction is strongly affected by dust, which reveals itself by both dimming the starlight passing through it and by selectively removing the blue light, changing the apparent colour to a deeper yellow. Though the colour change is only seen in photographs such as this, the dustiness of the Milky Way is obvious to the unaided eye. Near the centre of the picture is a region known as Baade's Window after the astro

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Southern Aurora observed from space station - Aurora Australis seen from space - Southern Aurora observed from the International Space Station (ISS) on 29 May 2010. Aurora australis seen from the International Space Station (ISS) on May 29, 2010. The ISS was located over the Southern Indian Ocean at an altitude of 350 km, with the astronaut observer most likely looking towards Antarctica (not visible) and the South Pole. The aurora has a sinuous ribbon shape that separates into discrete spots near the lower right corner of the image. While the dominant coloration of the aurora is green, there are faint suggestions of red photon emission as well (light fuscia tones at image center left). Dense cloud cover is dimly visible below the aurora. The curvature of the Earth's horizon, or limb, is clearly visible as is the faint blue line of the upper atmosphere directly above at image top center. Several stars appear as bright pinpoints against the blackness of space at image top right

Southern Aurora observed from space station - Aurora Australis seen from space - Southern Aurora observed from the International Space Station (ISS) on 29 May 2010. Aurora australis seen from the International Space Station (ISS) on May 29, 2010. The ISS was located over the Southern Indian Ocean at an altitude of 350 km, with the astronaut observer most likely looking towards Antarctica (not visible) and the South Pole. The aurora has a sinuous ribbon shape that separates into discrete spots near the lower right corner of the image. While the dominant coloration of the aurora is green, there are faint suggestions of red photon emission as well (light fuscia tones at image center left). Dense cloud cover is dimly visible below the aurora. The curvature of the Earth's horizon, or limb, is clearly visible as is the faint blue line of the upper atmosphere directly above at image top center. Several stars appear as bright pinpoints against the blackness of space at image top right

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Globular cluster NGC 7006 - Globular cluster NGC 7006 - The globular cluster NGC 7006 is located in the constellation Dauphin about 135,000 years old - light from Earth. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows a compact and remote globular star cluster that lies in one of the smallest constellations in the night sky, Delphinus (The Dolphin). Due to its modest size, great distance and relatively low brightness, NGC 7006 is often ignored by amateur astronomers. But even remote globular clusters such as this one appear bright and clear when imaged by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys. NGC 7006 resides in the outskirts of the Milky Way. It is about 135,000 light - years away, five times the distance between the Sun and the centre of the galaxy, and it is part of the galactic halo. This roughly spherical region of the Milky Way is made up of dark matter, gas and sparsely distributed stellar clusters. Like other remote globular

Globular cluster NGC 7006 - Globular cluster NGC 7006 - The globular cluster NGC 7006 is located in the constellation Dauphin about 135,000 years old - light from Earth. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows a compact and remote globular star cluster that lies in one of the smallest constellations in the night sky, Delphinus (The Dolphin). Due to its modest size, great distance and relatively low brightness, NGC 7006 is often ignored by amateur astronomers. But even remote globular clusters such as this one appear bright and clear when imaged by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys. NGC 7006 resides in the outskirts of the Milky Way. It is about 135,000 light - years away, five times the distance between the Sun and the centre of the galaxy, and it is part of the galactic halo. This roughly spherical region of the Milky Way is made up of dark matter, gas and sparsely distributed stellar clusters. Like other remote globular

PIX4565129

Star formation in the Sails - Star formation in Vela - Infrared view of the nebulae Gum 22 (top right), Gum 23, IRAS 09002 - 4732 (orange cloud near center), Bran 226 (bottom left), and Gum 25 (bottom left). These star-forming regions are located between 4000 and 10,000 light years of the Earth. The bright green star, down to the right of the image, is a carbon star, IRAS 08535 - 4724. Image obtained by the WISE telescope (Wide - field Infrared Explorer). This image from Nasa's Wide - field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, highlights several star - forming regions. There are five distinct centers of star birth in this one image alone. Star - forming nebulae (called HII regions by astronomers) are clouds of gas and dust that have been heated up by nearby stars recently formed from the same cloud. The largest, brightest cloud, in the upper right is known as Gum 22. It's named after Colin Gum, an Australian astronomer who surveyed the southern hemisphere sky in the early 1950's looking

Star formation in the Sails - Star formation in Vela - Infrared view of the nebulae Gum 22 (top right), Gum 23, IRAS 09002 - 4732 (orange cloud near center), Bran 226 (bottom left), and Gum 25 (bottom left). These star-forming regions are located between 4000 and 10,000 light years of the Earth. The bright green star, down to the right of the image, is a carbon star, IRAS 08535 - 4724. Image obtained by the WISE telescope (Wide - field Infrared Explorer). This image from Nasa's Wide - field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, highlights several star - forming regions. There are five distinct centers of star birth in this one image alone. Star - forming nebulae (called HII regions by astronomers) are clouds of gas and dust that have been heated up by nearby stars recently formed from the same cloud. The largest, brightest cloud, in the upper right is known as Gum 22. It's named after Colin Gum, an Australian astronomer who surveyed the southern hemisphere sky in the early 1950's looking

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Nebula NGC 6188 in the Altar - NGC 6188 nebula in Ara - Nebula NGC 6188 is located about 4000 years from Earth. It is home to a cluster of young stars NGC 6193, formed three million years ago. Lower left, nebula NGC 6164. Image obtained through 3 different filters that highlight oxygen (blue), hydrogen (green), and sulfur (red). NGC 6188 is a red emission nebula located in southern constellation of Ara, about 4000 light years away. Inside of it, a young 3 million year star cluster. NGC 6193. The hottest stars of the cluster, two closely spaced O - type giants HD 150135 and HD 150136, (the bright stars in the image) are the illumination source of the emission nebula. Bottom left is the nebula NGC 6164. This image is in the classic “” Hubble palette”” where SII is assigned to red, H - alpha to green, and OIII to blue. RGB frames were taken for star colors

Nebula NGC 6188 in the Altar - NGC 6188 nebula in Ara - Nebula NGC 6188 is located about 4000 years from Earth. It is home to a cluster of young stars NGC 6193, formed three million years ago. Lower left, nebula NGC 6164. Image obtained through 3 different filters that highlight oxygen (blue), hydrogen (green), and sulfur (red). NGC 6188 is a red emission nebula located in southern constellation of Ara, about 4000 light years away. Inside of it, a young 3 million year star cluster. NGC 6193. The hottest stars of the cluster, two closely spaced O - type giants HD 150135 and HD 150136, (the bright stars in the image) are the illumination source of the emission nebula. Bottom left is the nebula NGC 6164. This image is in the classic “” Hubble palette”” where SII is assigned to red, H - alpha to green, and OIII to blue. RGB frames were taken for star colors

Tom Davis

PIX4619330

Barree spiral galaxy NGC 4639 in Virgo - Barred galaxy NGC 4639 in Virgo - The barree spiral galaxy NGC 4639 is located 78 million years - light in the Virgin's galaxy cluster. The blue dots visible on this image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope are young stars. Other stars, cepheides have also been observed in this galaxy, allowing us to measure their distance with precision. This Hubble Space Telescope image shows NGC 4639, a spiral galaxy located 78 million light - years away in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. The blue dots in the galaxy's outlying regions indicate the presence of young stars. Among them are older, bright stars called Cepheids, which are used as reliable milepost markers to obtain accurate distances to nearby galaxies. Astronomers measure the brightness of Cepheids to calculate the distance to a galaxy. After using Cepheids to calculate the distance to NGC 4639, the team compared the results to the peak brightness measurements of SN 1990N, a type Ia supernova l

Barree spiral galaxy NGC 4639 in Virgo - Barred galaxy NGC 4639 in Virgo - The barree spiral galaxy NGC 4639 is located 78 million years - light in the Virgin's galaxy cluster. The blue dots visible on this image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope are young stars. Other stars, cepheides have also been observed in this galaxy, allowing us to measure their distance with precision. This Hubble Space Telescope image shows NGC 4639, a spiral galaxy located 78 million light - years away in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. The blue dots in the galaxy's outlying regions indicate the presence of young stars. Among them are older, bright stars called Cepheids, which are used as reliable milepost markers to obtain accurate distances to nearby galaxies. Astronomers measure the brightness of Cepheids to calculate the distance to a galaxy. After using Cepheids to calculate the distance to NGC 4639, the team compared the results to the peak brightness measurements of SN 1990N, a type Ia supernova l

PIX4611731

Sirius A and Sirius B in the Big Dog - Sirius A and Sirius B seen in X - ray - Sirius A and Sirius B in the Big Dog seen in X-ray by the Chandra telescope. The brightest source on this image is Sirius B, a white dwarf star whose surface, heated at a temperature of 25,000 degres, emits huge X-rays. The other point is Sirius A, the brightest star in the sky in visible light, but practically non-existent in this wavelength. An X - ray image of the Sirius star system located 8.6 light years from Earth. This image shows two sources and a spike - like pattern due to the support structure for the transmission grating. The bright source is Sirius B, a white dwarf star that has a surface temperature of about 25,000 degrees Celsius which produces very low energy X - rays. The dim source at the position of Sirius A, a normal star more than twice as massive as the Sun, may be due to ultraviolet radiation from Sirius A leaking through the filter on the detector. In contrast, Sirius A is the brighte

Sirius A and Sirius B in the Big Dog - Sirius A and Sirius B seen in X - ray - Sirius A and Sirius B in the Big Dog seen in X-ray by the Chandra telescope. The brightest source on this image is Sirius B, a white dwarf star whose surface, heated at a temperature of 25,000 degres, emits huge X-rays. The other point is Sirius A, the brightest star in the sky in visible light, but practically non-existent in this wavelength. An X - ray image of the Sirius star system located 8.6 light years from Earth. This image shows two sources and a spike - like pattern due to the support structure for the transmission grating. The bright source is Sirius B, a white dwarf star that has a surface temperature of about 25,000 degrees Celsius which produces very low energy X - rays. The dim source at the position of Sirius A, a normal star more than twice as massive as the Sun, may be due to ultraviolet radiation from Sirius A leaking through the filter on the detector. In contrast, Sirius A is the brighte

PIX4571724

Nebula IC 2948 in Centaurus - Nebula IC 2948 and IC 2944 in Centaurus - Nebula IC 2948 is a vast nebula located about 6000 years from Earth in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It is associated with the cluster of stars IC 2944 near which Bok's blood cells are visible. A Bok's blood cell is a dark interstellar cloud of gases and dust that absorb light. If it condenses enough, it gives birth to new stars. Image obtained through 3 different filters that highlight oxygen (blue), hydrogen (green), and sulfur (red). Between the Southern Cross and the rich Carina region, on the southern border of Centaurus, is a large, almost featureless emission nebula, IC 2948, with a sprinkling of bright stars, Collinder 249. It is against this uniform, backdrop that we see a brighter region (IC 2944) which hosts small group of dark clouds of the kind known as 'Bok globules'. They are named for the Dutch - American astronomer who first drew attention to them as the possible sites of star formation.

Nebula IC 2948 in Centaurus - Nebula IC 2948 and IC 2944 in Centaurus - Nebula IC 2948 is a vast nebula located about 6000 years from Earth in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It is associated with the cluster of stars IC 2944 near which Bok's blood cells are visible. A Bok's blood cell is a dark interstellar cloud of gases and dust that absorb light. If it condenses enough, it gives birth to new stars. Image obtained through 3 different filters that highlight oxygen (blue), hydrogen (green), and sulfur (red). Between the Southern Cross and the rich Carina region, on the southern border of Centaurus, is a large, almost featureless emission nebula, IC 2948, with a sprinkling of bright stars, Collinder 249. It is against this uniform, backdrop that we see a brighter region (IC 2944) which hosts small group of dark clouds of the kind known as 'Bok globules'. They are named for the Dutch - American astronomer who first drew attention to them as the possible sites of star formation.

Tom Davis

PIX4622599

Hubble Nebula (NGC 2261) in Unicorn - NGC 2261, Hubble's variable nebula - The Hubble Nebula is a weak nebulosite that surrounds the star R Monocerotis (R Mon), the bright star at the bottom of the nebula. The mass of the star R Mon is about 10 times that of the sun. It is approximately 2600 light years away and is only 300,000 years old. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Hubble's variable nebula is in Monoceros and was the first object to be photographed with the famous 200 inch Hale Telescope at Palomar in 1948. This curious object is a reflection nebula in which is embedded the star R Monocerotis. Variations in the appearance of the nebula were noted by the American astronomer Edwin Hubble in 1916. They are probably caused by opaque clouds of dust passing between the hidden star and the outskirts of the nebula we see, the moving shadows changing the apparent form of the glowing dust in an irregular way. This picture was made from three AAT plates taken over several y

Hubble Nebula (NGC 2261) in Unicorn - NGC 2261, Hubble's variable nebula - The Hubble Nebula is a weak nebulosite that surrounds the star R Monocerotis (R Mon), the bright star at the bottom of the nebula. The mass of the star R Mon is about 10 times that of the sun. It is approximately 2600 light years away and is only 300,000 years old. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Hubble's variable nebula is in Monoceros and was the first object to be photographed with the famous 200 inch Hale Telescope at Palomar in 1948. This curious object is a reflection nebula in which is embedded the star R Monocerotis. Variations in the appearance of the nebula were noted by the American astronomer Edwin Hubble in 1916. They are probably caused by opaque clouds of dust passing between the hidden star and the outskirts of the nebula we see, the moving shadows changing the apparent form of the glowing dust in an irregular way. This picture was made from three AAT plates taken over several y

PIX4618577

Interacting galaxies NGC 2936 and NGC 2937 - Interacting Galaxies NGC 2936 and NGC 2937 in Hydra - These two interacting galaxies also called Arp 142 are located approximately 326 million years ago - light from Earth in the constellation Hydra. NGC 2936 is a spiral galaxy, NGC 2937 is an elliptical galaxy. Above the torque, a blue galaxy UGC 5130, located closer to us is 230 million light years. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This interacting galaxy duo is collectively called Arp 142. The pair contains the disturbed, star - forming spiral galaxy NGC 2936, along with its elliptical companion, NGC 2937 at lower left. Once part of a flat, spiral disk, the orbits of the galaxy's stars have become scrambled due to gravitational tidal interactions with the other galaxy. This warps the galaxy's orderly spiral, and interstellar gas is strewn out into giant tails like stretched taffy. Gas and dust drawn from the heart of NGC 2936 becomes compressed during the encounter, whi

Interacting galaxies NGC 2936 and NGC 2937 - Interacting Galaxies NGC 2936 and NGC 2937 in Hydra - These two interacting galaxies also called Arp 142 are located approximately 326 million years ago - light from Earth in the constellation Hydra. NGC 2936 is a spiral galaxy, NGC 2937 is an elliptical galaxy. Above the torque, a blue galaxy UGC 5130, located closer to us is 230 million light years. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This interacting galaxy duo is collectively called Arp 142. The pair contains the disturbed, star - forming spiral galaxy NGC 2936, along with its elliptical companion, NGC 2937 at lower left. Once part of a flat, spiral disk, the orbits of the galaxy's stars have become scrambled due to gravitational tidal interactions with the other galaxy. This warps the galaxy's orderly spiral, and interstellar gas is strewn out into giant tails like stretched taffy. Gas and dust drawn from the heart of NGC 2936 becomes compressed during the encounter, whi

PIX4610249

Nebula Trifide (M20) in Sagittarius view in visible and infrared - This image composite compares the well - known visible - light picture of the glowing Trifid Nebula (left panel) with infrared views from Nasa's Spitzer Space Telescope (remaining three panels). The Trifid Nebula is a giant star - forming cloud of gas and dust located 5,400 light - years away in the constellation Sagittarius. The false - color Spitzer images reveal a different side of the Trifid Nebula. Where dark lanes of dust are visible trisecting the nebula in the visible - light picture, bright regions of star - forming activity are seen in the Spitzer pictures. All together, Spitzer uncovered 30 massive embryonic stars and 120 smaller newborn stars throughout the Trifid Nebula, in both its dark lanes and luminous clouds. These stars are visible in all the Spitzer images, mainly as yellow or red spots. Embryonic stars are developing stars about to burst into existence. Ten of the 30 massive embryos discovered by Sp

Nebula Trifide (M20) in Sagittarius view in visible and infrared - This image composite compares the well - known visible - light picture of the glowing Trifid Nebula (left panel) with infrared views from Nasa's Spitzer Space Telescope (remaining three panels). The Trifid Nebula is a giant star - forming cloud of gas and dust located 5,400 light - years away in the constellation Sagittarius. The false - color Spitzer images reveal a different side of the Trifid Nebula. Where dark lanes of dust are visible trisecting the nebula in the visible - light picture, bright regions of star - forming activity are seen in the Spitzer pictures. All together, Spitzer uncovered 30 massive embryonic stars and 120 smaller newborn stars throughout the Trifid Nebula, in both its dark lanes and luminous clouds. These stars are visible in all the Spitzer images, mainly as yellow or red spots. Embryonic stars are developing stars about to burst into existence. Ten of the 30 massive embryos discovered by Sp

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Nebula of the Lagoon (M8) in Sagittarius - The Lagoon nebula (M8) in Sagittarius - View of the Nebula of the Lagoon (M8/NGC 6523). Located in Sagittarius, at a distance of 5800 years - light, it is visible to the naked eye in good conditions. It is a star-forming region illuminated by several large O-type stars that belong to the open cluster NGC 6530 visible in the center of the image. The brightest part of the nebula is called the hourglass nebula whose gases are excited mainly by two massive supergeant stars Herschel 36 and 9 Sagittarii. M8 has at least 60 Giant B stars, 3 to 4 times more than the Orion Nebula. The Lagoon nebula (M8), can be visible to the unaided eye as a small bright patch above the large Sagittarius star cloud in the Milky Way. The Lagoon nebula is a star - forming region about 5800 light years from us. The nebula is illuminated by several O - type giants within the open cluster NGC 6530 near the center of the nebula. The brightest part of the nebula is known as

Nebula of the Lagoon (M8) in Sagittarius - The Lagoon nebula (M8) in Sagittarius - View of the Nebula of the Lagoon (M8/NGC 6523). Located in Sagittarius, at a distance of 5800 years - light, it is visible to the naked eye in good conditions. It is a star-forming region illuminated by several large O-type stars that belong to the open cluster NGC 6530 visible in the center of the image. The brightest part of the nebula is called the hourglass nebula whose gases are excited mainly by two massive supergeant stars Herschel 36 and 9 Sagittarii. M8 has at least 60 Giant B stars, 3 to 4 times more than the Orion Nebula. The Lagoon nebula (M8), can be visible to the unaided eye as a small bright patch above the large Sagittarius star cloud in the Milky Way. The Lagoon nebula is a star - forming region about 5800 light years from us. The nebula is illuminated by several O - type giants within the open cluster NGC 6530 near the center of the nebula. The brightest part of the nebula is known as

R. Jay GaBany

PIX4619726

Nebula NGC 7023 in Cephee - NGC 7023 (The Iris Nebula) in Cepheus - The Iris Nebula (NGC 7023) is a reflexion nebula illuminated by the massive star HD 200775. The bright star HD 200775 shining through the nebula NGC 7023 is a 10 solar mass star centrally imbedded in a region surrounded by ambient molecular cloud material. Suns are born from vast clouds of dust and gas that gather in the dark places between the stars. Gravity causes these interstellar vapors to collapse inward until the pressure causes high enough temperatures at its center to fuse hydrogen, the university's basic building block, into helium - an event that also releases gamma - ray photons. These photons can take a million years to travel outward through the overlying matter until they reach the surface and escape into space as visible light. The push of the photon's rush to make an exit also stops the cloud's collapse and thus what began as thin gas and dust becomes a brilliant star illuminating the heavens and possi

Nebula NGC 7023 in Cephee - NGC 7023 (The Iris Nebula) in Cepheus - The Iris Nebula (NGC 7023) is a reflexion nebula illuminated by the massive star HD 200775. The bright star HD 200775 shining through the nebula NGC 7023 is a 10 solar mass star centrally imbedded in a region surrounded by ambient molecular cloud material. Suns are born from vast clouds of dust and gas that gather in the dark places between the stars. Gravity causes these interstellar vapors to collapse inward until the pressure causes high enough temperatures at its center to fuse hydrogen, the university's basic building block, into helium - an event that also releases gamma - ray photons. These photons can take a million years to travel outward through the overlying matter until they reach the surface and escape into space as visible light. The push of the photon's rush to make an exit also stops the cloud's collapse and thus what began as thin gas and dust becomes a brilliant star illuminating the heavens and possi

Adam Block

PIX4620555

Crab Pulsar in Nebula M1 - The Crab pulsar: This false-colored image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope shows the central region of the Crab Nebula or resides its pulsar. The pulsar is visible in the center of the image. It is a very dense neutron star from the explosion of a massive supernova star. This star quickly rotates on itself developing a powerful magnetic field, emitting beams of light and radio waves. M1 is located about 6000 light-years in the constellation Taurus.. In 1054 AD, during the Song dynasty, Chinese astronomers spotted a bright new star in the night sky. This newcomer turned out to be a violent explosion within the Milky Way, caused by the spectacular death of a star some 1600 light-years away. This explosion created one of the most well-studied and beautiful objects in the night sky - the Crab Nebula. The beautiful result of this cataclysmic Type II supernova is shown here, imaged by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. Unlike m

Crab Pulsar in Nebula M1 - The Crab pulsar: This false-colored image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope shows the central region of the Crab Nebula or resides its pulsar. The pulsar is visible in the center of the image. It is a very dense neutron star from the explosion of a massive supernova star. This star quickly rotates on itself developing a powerful magnetic field, emitting beams of light and radio waves. M1 is located about 6000 light-years in the constellation Taurus.. In 1054 AD, during the Song dynasty, Chinese astronomers spotted a bright new star in the night sky. This newcomer turned out to be a violent explosion within the Milky Way, caused by the spectacular death of a star some 1600 light-years away. This explosion created one of the most well-studied and beautiful objects in the night sky - the Crab Nebula. The beautiful result of this cataclysmic Type II supernova is shown here, imaged by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. Unlike m

PIX4583169

Spiral Galaxy M66 in the Lion - Spiral galaxy M66 in Leo - M66 (NGC 3627) is a spiral galaxy located at a distance of about 35 million years - light. M66, with its neighbors M65 and NGC 3628, forms a remarkable triplet of galaxies, called the Lion Triplet or the M66 Group. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope. The unusual spiral galaxy, Messier 66, is located at a distance of about 35 million light - years in the constellation of Leo. Together with Messier 65 and NGC 3628, Messier 66 is one third of the Leo Triplet, a trio of interacting spiral galaxies, part of the larger Messier 66 group. Messier 66 wins out in size over its fellow triplets - - it is about 100 000 light - years across. Messier 66 is the proud owner of exclusive asymmetric spiral arms which seem to climb above the galaxy's main disc and an apparently displaced nucleus. This asymmetry is unusual; most often, dense waves of gas, dust and newly born stars wind about the galaxy's centre in a symmetric way. Astrono

Spiral Galaxy M66 in the Lion - Spiral galaxy M66 in Leo - M66 (NGC 3627) is a spiral galaxy located at a distance of about 35 million years - light. M66, with its neighbors M65 and NGC 3628, forms a remarkable triplet of galaxies, called the Lion Triplet or the M66 Group. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope. The unusual spiral galaxy, Messier 66, is located at a distance of about 35 million light - years in the constellation of Leo. Together with Messier 65 and NGC 3628, Messier 66 is one third of the Leo Triplet, a trio of interacting spiral galaxies, part of the larger Messier 66 group. Messier 66 wins out in size over its fellow triplets - - it is about 100 000 light - years across. Messier 66 is the proud owner of exclusive asymmetric spiral arms which seem to climb above the galaxy's main disc and an apparently displaced nucleus. This asymmetry is unusual; most often, dense waves of gas, dust and newly born stars wind about the galaxy's centre in a symmetric way. Astrono

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Cone Nebula NGC 2264 in the Unicorn - The Cone Nebula NGC 2264 in Monoceros - The Cone Nebula is a region H II located about 2600 years from Earth. It is accompanied by a cluster of stars called the Christmas tree. The bright star at the top is S Monocerotis, a star of magnitude 4.7. Image obtained with a 50 cm telescope, composite of several images. Total installation of 52 hours. The Cone Nebula (also known as NGC 2264) is an H II region in the constellation of Monoceros. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1785. The nebula is located about 800 parsecs or 2,600 light - years away from Earth. The Cone Nebula is part of the nebulosity surrounding the Christmas Tree Cluster. The designation of NGC 2264 in the New General Catalogue refers to both objects and not the nebula alone. The brightest star on top of the image is S Monocerotis. This image was created by stitching six separate photographs, featuring over 52 total hours of exposure, into a single seamless mosaic. The exposures

Cone Nebula NGC 2264 in the Unicorn - The Cone Nebula NGC 2264 in Monoceros - The Cone Nebula is a region H II located about 2600 years from Earth. It is accompanied by a cluster of stars called the Christmas tree. The bright star at the top is S Monocerotis, a star of magnitude 4.7. Image obtained with a 50 cm telescope, composite of several images. Total installation of 52 hours. The Cone Nebula (also known as NGC 2264) is an H II region in the constellation of Monoceros. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1785. The nebula is located about 800 parsecs or 2,600 light - years away from Earth. The Cone Nebula is part of the nebulosity surrounding the Christmas Tree Cluster. The designation of NGC 2264 in the New General Catalogue refers to both objects and not the nebula alone. The brightest star on top of the image is S Monocerotis. This image was created by stitching six separate photographs, featuring over 52 total hours of exposure, into a single seamless mosaic. The exposures

R. Jay GaBany

PIX4618663

Star Formation in Galaxy M83 - Star Birth in Spiral galaxy M83 - Close-up of star-forming zones in the arms and near the nucleus (white region on the right) of the M83 galaxy. In red appear the hydrogen clouds in which the stars are born. The new stars are concentrated in blue clusters visible by hundreds on this image. The galaxy M83 (NGC 5236) is located about 15 million light years away from Earth in the constellation Hydra. This galaxy is intermediate between a classic spiral and a barree spiral. Image obtained by the Hubble space telescope with its wide field camera 3 (WFC3) in August 2009. Nicknamed the Southern Pinwheel, M83 is undergoing more rapid star formation than our own Milky Way galaxy, especially in its nucleus. The sharp “” eye”” of the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) has captured hundreds of young star clusters, ancient swarms of globular star clusters, and hundreds of thousands of individual stars, mostly blue supergiants and red supergiants. The image, taken in August 20

Star Formation in Galaxy M83 - Star Birth in Spiral galaxy M83 - Close-up of star-forming zones in the arms and near the nucleus (white region on the right) of the M83 galaxy. In red appear the hydrogen clouds in which the stars are born. The new stars are concentrated in blue clusters visible by hundreds on this image. The galaxy M83 (NGC 5236) is located about 15 million light years away from Earth in the constellation Hydra. This galaxy is intermediate between a classic spiral and a barree spiral. Image obtained by the Hubble space telescope with its wide field camera 3 (WFC3) in August 2009. Nicknamed the Southern Pinwheel, M83 is undergoing more rapid star formation than our own Milky Way galaxy, especially in its nucleus. The sharp “” eye”” of the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) has captured hundreds of young star clusters, ancient swarms of globular star clusters, and hundreds of thousands of individual stars, mostly blue supergiants and red supergiants. The image, taken in August 20

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Dark stars and nebulae in Sagittarius and Ophiuchus - Dark Nebulae in Sagittarius and Scorpius - Dark nebulae on the edge of the Pipe nebula. This complex of dust clouds that block the light of the stars is located between the Sagittarius and the Scorpio, near the center of our lactee road. Also visible, the nebulae emitted from the Lagoon, Trifide, and Omega. Image obtained with Canon 20Da, 50 mm f/1.4, 6 x 5 min ISO 1600 poses. This amazing complex of dark nebulae and dust in Sagittarius and Ophiuchus lies near the central bulge of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Dark nebulae are non - luminous clouds of obscuring matter and dust which block the light from stars behind them. Many of the dark nebulae seen here are listed in E.E. Barnard's catalog of dark nebulae and are given a “” B” designation, such as B72, the Snake Nebula. Almost the entire complex of dark nebulae seen on the right hand side of the image make up the “Dark Horse and Rider””. The Pipe Nebula, Lynds Dark Nebula 1773,

Dark stars and nebulae in Sagittarius and Ophiuchus - Dark Nebulae in Sagittarius and Scorpius - Dark nebulae on the edge of the Pipe nebula. This complex of dust clouds that block the light of the stars is located between the Sagittarius and the Scorpio, near the center of our lactee road. Also visible, the nebulae emitted from the Lagoon, Trifide, and Omega. Image obtained with Canon 20Da, 50 mm f/1.4, 6 x 5 min ISO 1600 poses. This amazing complex of dark nebulae and dust in Sagittarius and Ophiuchus lies near the central bulge of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Dark nebulae are non - luminous clouds of obscuring matter and dust which block the light from stars behind them. Many of the dark nebulae seen here are listed in E.E. Barnard's catalog of dark nebulae and are given a “” B” designation, such as B72, the Snake Nebula. Almost the entire complex of dark nebulae seen on the right hand side of the image make up the “Dark Horse and Rider””. The Pipe Nebula, Lynds Dark Nebula 1773,

Jerry Lodriguss

PIX4621393

Nebula of the Lagoon (M8) in Sagittarius - The Lagoon nebula (M8) in Sagittarius - View of the Nebula of the Lagoon (M8/NGC 6523). Located in Sagittarius, at a distance of 5800 years - light, it is visible to the naked eye in good conditions. It is a star-forming region illuminated by several large O-type stars that belong to the open cluster NGC 6530 visible in the center of the image. The brightest part of the nebula is called the hourglass nebula whose gases are excited mainly by two massive supergeant stars Herschel 36 and 9 Sagittarii. M8 has at least 60 Giant B stars, 3 to 4 times more than the Orion Nebula. The Lagoon nebula (M8), can be visible to the unaided eye as a small bright patch above the large Sagittarius star cloud in the Milky Way. The Lagoon nebula is a star - forming region about 5800 light years from us. The nebula is illuminated by several O - type giants within the open cluster NGC 6530 near the center of the nebula. The brightest part of the nebula is known as

Nebula of the Lagoon (M8) in Sagittarius - The Lagoon nebula (M8) in Sagittarius - View of the Nebula of the Lagoon (M8/NGC 6523). Located in Sagittarius, at a distance of 5800 years - light, it is visible to the naked eye in good conditions. It is a star-forming region illuminated by several large O-type stars that belong to the open cluster NGC 6530 visible in the center of the image. The brightest part of the nebula is called the hourglass nebula whose gases are excited mainly by two massive supergeant stars Herschel 36 and 9 Sagittarii. M8 has at least 60 Giant B stars, 3 to 4 times more than the Orion Nebula. The Lagoon nebula (M8), can be visible to the unaided eye as a small bright patch above the large Sagittarius star cloud in the Milky Way. The Lagoon nebula is a star - forming region about 5800 light years from us. The nebula is illuminated by several O - type giants within the open cluster NGC 6530 near the center of the nebula. The brightest part of the nebula is known as

R. Gendler

PIX4619656

M87 elliptical galaxy in Virgo - M87 elliptical galaxy in Virgo - The M87 galaxy (NGC 4486) is located about 60 million years ago - light from Earth, in the heart of the Virgin's cluster. M87 is the brightest radio source in the constellation, it is also called Virgo A. Image made with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Messier 87 (NGC 4486) is at the heart of the Virgo cluster and has a mass many times that of the Milky Way, itself no lightweight. Unlike our galaxy however, M87 is an elliptical galaxy. Though it appears more - or - less spherical on this photograph, a deep image shows it to be markedly elongated. Also unlike the Milky Way, M87 contains relatively little gas and dust. It is composed mainly of cool stars, which gives it a yellowish colour, in contrast to the blue of spiral galaxies. Despite the lack of star - forming materials, M87 is not a quiescent backwater. It is a powerful source of radio waves and the orbits of stars near its nucleus suggest they are held by a very m

M87 elliptical galaxy in Virgo - M87 elliptical galaxy in Virgo - The M87 galaxy (NGC 4486) is located about 60 million years ago - light from Earth, in the heart of the Virgin's cluster. M87 is the brightest radio source in the constellation, it is also called Virgo A. Image made with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Messier 87 (NGC 4486) is at the heart of the Virgo cluster and has a mass many times that of the Milky Way, itself no lightweight. Unlike our galaxy however, M87 is an elliptical galaxy. Though it appears more - or - less spherical on this photograph, a deep image shows it to be markedly elongated. Also unlike the Milky Way, M87 contains relatively little gas and dust. It is composed mainly of cool stars, which gives it a yellowish colour, in contrast to the blue of spiral galaxies. Despite the lack of star - forming materials, M87 is not a quiescent backwater. It is a powerful source of radio waves and the orbits of stars near its nucleus suggest they are held by a very m

PIX4611429

Red Dwarf Star Proxima of Centauri - Proxima Centauri in X - Ray - Proxima of Centaur (in the center of the image) is the closest star to the Sun, at a distance of 4.2 years - light. It belongs to the triple Alpha star system of the Centaurus being the least bright star of this system; it is a red dwarf star. X-ray image obtained by the Chandra space telescope. Chandra and XMM - Newton observations of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri have shown that its surface is in a state of turmoil. Flares, or explosive outbursts, occur almost continually. This behavior can be traced to Proxima Centauri's low mass, about a tenth that of the Sun. In the cores of low mass stars, nuclear fusion reactions that convert hydrogen to helium proceed very slowly, and create a turbulent, convective motion throughout their interiors. This motion stores up magnetic energy which is often released explosively in the star's upper atmosphere where it produces flares in X - rays and other forms of light. The same

Red Dwarf Star Proxima of Centauri - Proxima Centauri in X - Ray - Proxima of Centaur (in the center of the image) is the closest star to the Sun, at a distance of 4.2 years - light. It belongs to the triple Alpha star system of the Centaurus being the least bright star of this system; it is a red dwarf star. X-ray image obtained by the Chandra space telescope. Chandra and XMM - Newton observations of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri have shown that its surface is in a state of turmoil. Flares, or explosive outbursts, occur almost continually. This behavior can be traced to Proxima Centauri's low mass, about a tenth that of the Sun. In the cores of low mass stars, nuclear fusion reactions that convert hydrogen to helium proceed very slowly, and create a turbulent, convective motion throughout their interiors. This motion stores up magnetic energy which is often released explosively in the star's upper atmosphere where it produces flares in X - rays and other forms of light. The same

PIX4571790

Saturn seen by the Cassini probe on 9 - 05 - 2007 - Saturn in natural colors seen by Cassini spacecraft May 9 2007. - Saturn seen by the Cassini probe on 9 - 05 - 2007 at a distance of 1.1 million km from the planet. Mosaic of 45 images. Three satellites are visible in this image: Mimas (upper right), Janus (lower right) and Pandora (barely visible, near ring F, lower left). This natural color mosaic was acquired by the Cassini spacecraft as it soared 39 degrees above the unilluminated side of the rings. Little light makes its way through the rings to be scattered in Cassini's direction in this viewing geometry, making the rings appear somewhat dark compared to the reflective planet. Bright clouds play in the blue - gray skies of the north. The ring shadows continue to caress the planet as they slide farther south toward their momentary disappearance during equinox in 2009. The rings' reflected light illuminates the southern hemisphere on Saturn's night side. Three of Saturn's moons ar

Saturn seen by the Cassini probe on 9 - 05 - 2007 - Saturn in natural colors seen by Cassini spacecraft May 9 2007. - Saturn seen by the Cassini probe on 9 - 05 - 2007 at a distance of 1.1 million km from the planet. Mosaic of 45 images. Three satellites are visible in this image: Mimas (upper right), Janus (lower right) and Pandora (barely visible, near ring F, lower left). This natural color mosaic was acquired by the Cassini spacecraft as it soared 39 degrees above the unilluminated side of the rings. Little light makes its way through the rings to be scattered in Cassini's direction in this viewing geometry, making the rings appear somewhat dark compared to the reflective planet. Bright clouds play in the blue - gray skies of the north. The ring shadows continue to caress the planet as they slide farther south toward their momentary disappearance during equinox in 2009. The rings' reflected light illuminates the southern hemisphere on Saturn's night side. Three of Saturn's moons ar

PIX4625121

Exoplanete Kepler-186f - Kepler-186f, the first Earth-size Planet in the Habitable Zone: Kepler-186f is the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of its star to be discovered. It orbits Kepler-186, a red dwarf located in the constellation of Swan, between 490 and 500 light years of the Earth. Kepler-186f, the first Earth-size Planet in the Habitable Zone. The artist's concept depicts Kepler-186f, the first validated Earth-size planet to orbit a distant star in the habitable zone - a range of distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the planet's surface. The discovery of Kepler-186f confirms that Earth-size planets exist in the habitable zones of other stars and signals a significant step closer to finding a world similar to Earth. The size of Kepler-186f is known to be less than ten percent larger than Earth, but its mass, composition and density are not known. Previous research suggests that a planet the size of Kepler-186f is likely to be rocky. Prior to this dis

Exoplanete Kepler-186f - Kepler-186f, the first Earth-size Planet in the Habitable Zone: Kepler-186f is the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of its star to be discovered. It orbits Kepler-186, a red dwarf located in the constellation of Swan, between 490 and 500 light years of the Earth. Kepler-186f, the first Earth-size Planet in the Habitable Zone. The artist's concept depicts Kepler-186f, the first validated Earth-size planet to orbit a distant star in the habitable zone - a range of distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the planet's surface. The discovery of Kepler-186f confirms that Earth-size planets exist in the habitable zones of other stars and signals a significant step closer to finding a world similar to Earth. The size of Kepler-186f is known to be less than ten percent larger than Earth, but its mass, composition and density are not known. Previous research suggests that a planet the size of Kepler-186f is likely to be rocky. Prior to this dis

Miller, Ron (b.1947)

PIX4608105

View of the nebula of the Lagoon (M8/NGC 6523). Located in Sagittarius, at a distance of 5800 light years, it is visible to the naked eye in good conditions. It is a star-forming region illuminated by several large O-type stars that belong to the open cluster NGC 6530 visible in the center of the image. The brightest part of the nebula is called the hourglass nebula whose gases are excited mainly by two massive supergeant stars Herschel 36 and 9 Sagittarii. M8 has at least 60 Giant B stars, 3 to 4 times more than the Orion nebula - The Lagoon nebula (M8), can be visible to the unaided eye as a small bright patch above the large Sagittarius star cloud in the Milky Way. The Lagoon nebula is a star-forming region about 5800 light years from us. The nebula is illuminated by several O-type giants within the open cluster NGC 6530 near the center of the nebula. The brightest part of the nebula is known as the “hourglass nebula”” and its gases are excited primarily by two massive O-type superg

View of the nebula of the Lagoon (M8/NGC 6523). Located in Sagittarius, at a distance of 5800 light years, it is visible to the naked eye in good conditions. It is a star-forming region illuminated by several large O-type stars that belong to the open cluster NGC 6530 visible in the center of the image. The brightest part of the nebula is called the hourglass nebula whose gases are excited mainly by two massive supergeant stars Herschel 36 and 9 Sagittarii. M8 has at least 60 Giant B stars, 3 to 4 times more than the Orion nebula - The Lagoon nebula (M8), can be visible to the unaided eye as a small bright patch above the large Sagittarius star cloud in the Milky Way. The Lagoon nebula is a star-forming region about 5800 light years from us. The nebula is illuminated by several O-type giants within the open cluster NGC 6530 near the center of the nebula. The brightest part of the nebula is known as the “hourglass nebula”” and its gases are excited primarily by two massive O-type superg

R. Gendler

PIX4619585

Eagle Nebula (IC 4703) in the Snake - detail - Young stars in the Eagle nebula - Detail on young stars located in the north - west part of the Eagle Nebula (M16). Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope. This picture shows the northwestern part of the Eagle nebula (M16), well away from the centre, and features some very bright young stars that formed from the same cloud of material. These energetic toddlers are part of an open cluster and emit ultraviolet radiation that causes the surrounding nebula to glow. The star cluster is very bright and was discovered in the mid - eighteenth century. The nebula, however, is much more elusive and it took almost a further two decades for it to be first noted by Charles Messier in 1764. Although it is commonly known as the Eagle Nebula, its official designation is Messier 16 and the cluster is also named NGC 6611. One spectacular area of the nebula (outside the field of view) has been nicknamed The Pillars of Creation”” ever since the Hubble S

Eagle Nebula (IC 4703) in the Snake - detail - Young stars in the Eagle nebula - Detail on young stars located in the north - west part of the Eagle Nebula (M16). Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope. This picture shows the northwestern part of the Eagle nebula (M16), well away from the centre, and features some very bright young stars that formed from the same cloud of material. These energetic toddlers are part of an open cluster and emit ultraviolet radiation that causes the surrounding nebula to glow. The star cluster is very bright and was discovered in the mid - eighteenth century. The nebula, however, is much more elusive and it took almost a further two decades for it to be first noted by Charles Messier in 1764. Although it is commonly known as the Eagle Nebula, its official designation is Messier 16 and the cluster is also named NGC 6611. One spectacular area of the nebula (outside the field of view) has been nicknamed The Pillars of Creation”” ever since the Hubble S

PIX4620062

China: The Daoist immortal Zhongli Quan, from the album of 18 Daoist Paintings by Zhang Lu (1464-1538), 16th century CE. Painting sprinkled with gold leaf, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai

China: The Daoist immortal Zhongli Quan, from the album of 18 Daoist Paintings by Zhang Lu (1464-1538), 16th century CE. Painting sprinkled with gold leaf, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai

Zhang Lu (1464-1538)

PFH3431937

Crete vue de l'espace - Crete seen from space - La Crete vue from the International Space Station (ISS) on 22 July 2011. Crete is the largest and most heavily populated island of Greece (or the Hellenic Republic). The island stretches approximately 260 kilometers (161 miles) from west to east, and it is roughly 60 kilometers (37 miles) across at its widest point. The rugged terrain of Crete includes mountains, plateaus, and several deep gorges. The largest city on the island, Heraklion, sits on the northern coastline. Several smaller islands ring Crete. Two of the largest of these, Dia and Gavdos, are sparsely populated year - round, although Gavdos hosts numerous summer visitors. The western and central parts of Crete appear surrounded by quicksilver in this astronaut photograph taken from the International Space Station. This phenomenon is known as sunglint, caused by light reflecting off of the sea surface directly towards the observer. The point of maximum reflectance is visible as

Crete vue de l'espace - Crete seen from space - La Crete vue from the International Space Station (ISS) on 22 July 2011. Crete is the largest and most heavily populated island of Greece (or the Hellenic Republic). The island stretches approximately 260 kilometers (161 miles) from west to east, and it is roughly 60 kilometers (37 miles) across at its widest point. The rugged terrain of Crete includes mountains, plateaus, and several deep gorges. The largest city on the island, Heraklion, sits on the northern coastline. Several smaller islands ring Crete. Two of the largest of these, Dia and Gavdos, are sparsely populated year - round, although Gavdos hosts numerous summer visitors. The western and central parts of Crete appear surrounded by quicksilver in this astronaut photograph taken from the International Space Station. This phenomenon is known as sunglint, caused by light reflecting off of the sea surface directly towards the observer. The point of maximum reflectance is visible as

PIX4665986

Nebula IC 1318 in the Swan - IC 1318 Butterfly nebula in Cygnus - IC 1318 is a very large emission nebula that surrounds the supergiant star Gamma Cygni (Sadr), visible towards the middle of the image. LDN 889 is a vast region of dark nebulae that separates the nebula on the left from Sadr. On the extreme right, another dark nebula, B343. Image obtained by the Oschin telescope of Mount Palomar through several filters and composed. Supergiant star Gamma Cygni lies at the center of the Northern Cross, famous asterism in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. Known by the proper name Sadr, the bright star also lies at the center of this gorgeous skyscape, featuring a complex of stars, dust clouds, and glowing nebulae along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy. The field of view spans over 4 degrees (eight Full Moons) on the sky and includes emission nebula IC 1318 and open star cluster NGC 6910. Left of Gamma Cyg and shaped like two glowing cosmic wings divided by a long dark dust lane, IC 1318'

Nebula IC 1318 in the Swan - IC 1318 Butterfly nebula in Cygnus - IC 1318 is a very large emission nebula that surrounds the supergiant star Gamma Cygni (Sadr), visible towards the middle of the image. LDN 889 is a vast region of dark nebulae that separates the nebula on the left from Sadr. On the extreme right, another dark nebula, B343. Image obtained by the Oschin telescope of Mount Palomar through several filters and composed. Supergiant star Gamma Cygni lies at the center of the Northern Cross, famous asterism in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. Known by the proper name Sadr, the bright star also lies at the center of this gorgeous skyscape, featuring a complex of stars, dust clouds, and glowing nebulae along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy. The field of view spans over 4 degrees (eight Full Moons) on the sky and includes emission nebula IC 1318 and open star cluster NGC 6910. Left of Gamma Cyg and shaped like two glowing cosmic wings divided by a long dark dust lane, IC 1318'

D. De Martin

PIX4622236

Lactee and Jupiter - Milky way and Jupiter - The Lactee Way accompanied by Jupiter, the bright planet on the left, seen from Cherry Springs State Park in the United States. The center of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, sets in the southwest as night begins at the Cherry Springs State Park, one of the darkest observing locations in the eastern United States. The Milky Way is a vast collection of more than 200 billion stars, planets, nebulae, clusters, dust and gas. Our own Sun and solar system are also part of the Milky Way galaxy. Seen as a luminous band of light and star clouds that stretch across the night sky, the brighter star clouds of the Milky Way are frequently mistaken for real Earth-bound clouds by observers who are unfamiliar with their appearance. Sometimes interrupted by dark nebulae and rifts, these star clouds are actually innumerable unresolved faint stars. The central bulge of the Milky Way, the brightest and most spectacular portion, is visible here in the Sagittarius

Lactee and Jupiter - Milky way and Jupiter - The Lactee Way accompanied by Jupiter, the bright planet on the left, seen from Cherry Springs State Park in the United States. The center of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, sets in the southwest as night begins at the Cherry Springs State Park, one of the darkest observing locations in the eastern United States. The Milky Way is a vast collection of more than 200 billion stars, planets, nebulae, clusters, dust and gas. Our own Sun and solar system are also part of the Milky Way galaxy. Seen as a luminous band of light and star clouds that stretch across the night sky, the brighter star clouds of the Milky Way are frequently mistaken for real Earth-bound clouds by observers who are unfamiliar with their appearance. Sometimes interrupted by dark nebulae and rifts, these star clouds are actually innumerable unresolved faint stars. The central bulge of the Milky Way, the brightest and most spectacular portion, is visible here in the Sagittarius

Jerry Lodriguss

PIX4637237

Exoplanete Kepler-186f - Kepler-186f, the first Earth-size Planet in the Habitable Zone: Kepler-186f is the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of its star to be discovered. It orbits Kepler-186, a red dwarf located in the constellation of Swan, between 490 and 500 light years of the Earth. Kepler-186f, the first Earth-size Planet in the Habitable Zone. The artist's concept depicts Kepler-186f, the first validated Earth-size planet to orbit a distant star in the habitable zone - a range of distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the planet's surface. The discovery of Kepler-186f confirms that Earth-size planets exist in the habitable zones of other stars and signals a significant step closer to finding a world similar to Earth. The size of Kepler-186f is known to be less than ten percent larger than Earth, but its mass, composition and density are not known. Previous research suggests that a planet the size of Kepler-186f is likely to be rocky. Prior to this dis

Exoplanete Kepler-186f - Kepler-186f, the first Earth-size Planet in the Habitable Zone: Kepler-186f is the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of its star to be discovered. It orbits Kepler-186, a red dwarf located in the constellation of Swan, between 490 and 500 light years of the Earth. Kepler-186f, the first Earth-size Planet in the Habitable Zone. The artist's concept depicts Kepler-186f, the first validated Earth-size planet to orbit a distant star in the habitable zone - a range of distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the planet's surface. The discovery of Kepler-186f confirms that Earth-size planets exist in the habitable zones of other stars and signals a significant step closer to finding a world similar to Earth. The size of Kepler-186f is known to be less than ten percent larger than Earth, but its mass, composition and density are not known. Previous research suggests that a planet the size of Kepler-186f is likely to be rocky. Prior to this dis

Miller, Ron (b.1947)

PIX4608153

Double star Gliese 623 - Double star system Gliese 623 in Hercules - Gliese 623 is a double star located about 25 years ago - light in the constellation Hercules. The Hubble space telescope was able for the first time to obtain an image of the two stars that make up this system, in June 1994. The two stars are separated by about twice the distance from Earth to Sun. On the right, 623b, a star 60,000 times less bright than the Sun, and 10 times less massive. Its nature is misidentified, it's a red dwarf or a brown dwarf. A dim double star system cataloged as Gliese 623 lies 25 light - years from Earth, in the constellation of Hercules. The individual stars of this binary system were distinguished for the first time when the Hubble Space Telescope's Faint Object Camera recorded this image in June 1994. They are separated by 200 million miles - about twice the Earth/Sun distance. On the right, the fainter Gliese 623b is 60,000 times less luminous than the Sun and approximately 10 times le

Double star Gliese 623 - Double star system Gliese 623 in Hercules - Gliese 623 is a double star located about 25 years ago - light in the constellation Hercules. The Hubble space telescope was able for the first time to obtain an image of the two stars that make up this system, in June 1994. The two stars are separated by about twice the distance from Earth to Sun. On the right, 623b, a star 60,000 times less bright than the Sun, and 10 times less massive. Its nature is misidentified, it's a red dwarf or a brown dwarf. A dim double star system cataloged as Gliese 623 lies 25 light - years from Earth, in the constellation of Hercules. The individual stars of this binary system were distinguished for the first time when the Hubble Space Telescope's Faint Object Camera recorded this image in June 1994. They are separated by 200 million miles - about twice the Earth/Sun distance. On the right, the fainter Gliese 623b is 60,000 times less luminous than the Sun and approximately 10 times le

PIX4572158

Kepler - 186f, the first Earth - size Planet in the Habitable Zone - Kepler - 186f is the first Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of its star to be discovered. It orbits Kepler - 186, a red dwarf located in the constellation of Swan, between 490 and 500 years of light from the Earth. The artist's concept depicts Kepler - 186f, the first validated Earth - size planet to orbit a distant star in the habitable zone - - a range of distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the planet's surface. The discovery of Kepler - 186f confirms that Earth - size planets exist in the habitable zones of other stars and signals a significant step closer to finding a world similar to Earth. The size of Kepler - 186f is known to be less than ten percent larger than Earth, but its mass, composition and density are not known. Previous research suggests that a planet the size of Kepler - 186f is likely to be rocky. Prior to this discovery, the “” record holder”” for the most “” Earth - like”

Kepler - 186f, the first Earth - size Planet in the Habitable Zone - Kepler - 186f is the first Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of its star to be discovered. It orbits Kepler - 186, a red dwarf located in the constellation of Swan, between 490 and 500 years of light from the Earth. The artist's concept depicts Kepler - 186f, the first validated Earth - size planet to orbit a distant star in the habitable zone - - a range of distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the planet's surface. The discovery of Kepler - 186f confirms that Earth - size planets exist in the habitable zones of other stars and signals a significant step closer to finding a world similar to Earth. The size of Kepler - 186f is known to be less than ten percent larger than Earth, but its mass, composition and density are not known. Previous research suggests that a planet the size of Kepler - 186f is likely to be rocky. Prior to this discovery, the “” record holder”” for the most “” Earth - like”

PIX4574126

Nebula NGC 3372 in the Carene - Carina nebula NGC 3372 - The Carene nebula is located about 7500 years from the Earth. It is home to many hot stars, including the massive star Eta Carinae at the bottom left of the image, the clusters of young stars Trumpler 14 (above the right of eta carinae) and Collinder 228 (below eta carinae). Image obtained by the 2.2m ESO/MPG telescope of the La Silla Observatory in Chile. Colour - composite image of the Carina Nebula, revealing exquisite details in the stars and dust of the region. Several well known astronomical objects can be seen in this wide field image: to the bottom left of the image is one of the most impressive binary stars in the Universe, Eta Carinae, with the famous Keyhole Nebula just adjacent to the star. The collection of very bright, young stars above and to the right of Eta Carinae is the open star cluster Trumpler 14. A second open star cluster, Collinder 228 is also seen in the image, just below Eta Carinae. North is up and Eas

Nebula NGC 3372 in the Carene - Carina nebula NGC 3372 - The Carene nebula is located about 7500 years from the Earth. It is home to many hot stars, including the massive star Eta Carinae at the bottom left of the image, the clusters of young stars Trumpler 14 (above the right of eta carinae) and Collinder 228 (below eta carinae). Image obtained by the 2.2m ESO/MPG telescope of the La Silla Observatory in Chile. Colour - composite image of the Carina Nebula, revealing exquisite details in the stars and dust of the region. Several well known astronomical objects can be seen in this wide field image: to the bottom left of the image is one of the most impressive binary stars in the Universe, Eta Carinae, with the famous Keyhole Nebula just adjacent to the star. The collection of very bright, young stars above and to the right of Eta Carinae is the open star cluster Trumpler 14. A second open star cluster, Collinder 228 is also seen in the image, just below Eta Carinae. North is up and Eas

PIX4619045

Interacting galaxies UGC 8058 - Interacting galaxies UGC 8058 - The galaxy UGC 8058 (Markarian 231) is located about 600 million light years away from Earth in the constellation Big Bear. This interacting galaxy houses a quasar in its center. It is one of the brightest ultra-bright infrared galaxy known to date. It has a central black hole and intense star formations are observed. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope on May 10, 2002. The extraordinary galaxy UGC 8058, also known as Markarian 231, was discovered in 1969 as part of a survey searching for galaxies with strong ultraviolet radiation. It has long tidal tails and a disturbed shape. Results from the first spectrum showed clear signs of the presence of a powerful quasar in the center that made Markarian 231 unique in the Markarian sample. Markarian 231 has maintained its reputation as an exceptional object since those early observations and continues to be a favorite target in all wavelength regimes. Its infrared lumino

Interacting galaxies UGC 8058 - Interacting galaxies UGC 8058 - The galaxy UGC 8058 (Markarian 231) is located about 600 million light years away from Earth in the constellation Big Bear. This interacting galaxy houses a quasar in its center. It is one of the brightest ultra-bright infrared galaxy known to date. It has a central black hole and intense star formations are observed. Image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope on May 10, 2002. The extraordinary galaxy UGC 8058, also known as Markarian 231, was discovered in 1969 as part of a survey searching for galaxies with strong ultraviolet radiation. It has long tidal tails and a disturbed shape. Results from the first spectrum showed clear signs of the presence of a powerful quasar in the center that made Markarian 231 unique in the Markarian sample. Markarian 231 has maintained its reputation as an exceptional object since those early observations and continues to be a favorite target in all wavelength regimes. Its infrared lumino

PIX4613687

Around the Tarantula Nebula - Around the Tarantula nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud - The Tarantula Nebula (or 30 Bream) is the largest star-forming region of the Great Magellan Cloud. It is located 170,000 light years ago in the constellation Dorado (southern hemisphere). At the center of this nebula, the open cluster of R136 stars, clusters of hot and massive stars. Image obtained with the 1.2m Schmidt UK Telescope from Siding Spring. In this picture we see the eastern end of the Large Magellanic Cloud where lies one of the most active star formation regions known. If this enormous complex of stars, gas and dust were at the distance of the better - known Orion Nebula the brightest parts of it would visible during the day and would cover a quarter of the sky at night. While the Orion Nebula contains a mere handful of the hot blue stars which energise it, the Tarantula nebula has spawned many thousands in the bright central region, which surrounds a compact, brilliant cluster known

Around the Tarantula Nebula - Around the Tarantula nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud - The Tarantula Nebula (or 30 Bream) is the largest star-forming region of the Great Magellan Cloud. It is located 170,000 light years ago in the constellation Dorado (southern hemisphere). At the center of this nebula, the open cluster of R136 stars, clusters of hot and massive stars. Image obtained with the 1.2m Schmidt UK Telescope from Siding Spring. In this picture we see the eastern end of the Large Magellanic Cloud where lies one of the most active star formation regions known. If this enormous complex of stars, gas and dust were at the distance of the better - known Orion Nebula the brightest parts of it would visible during the day and would cover a quarter of the sky at night. While the Orion Nebula contains a mere handful of the hot blue stars which energise it, the Tarantula nebula has spawned many thousands in the bright central region, which surrounds a compact, brilliant cluster known

PIX4618257

Barree spiral galaxy UGC 12158 - Galaxy UGC 12158 - The galaxy UGC 12158, is about 400 million light years away from Earth in the constellation Pegase. In this image obtained by the Hubble space telescope, a blue star is visible near the center of the galaxy (lower left), it is a supernova, SN 2004ef. The galaxy captured in this image, called UGC 12158, certainly isn't camera - shy: this spiral stunner is posing face - on to the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys, revealing its structure in fine detail. UGC 12158 is an excellent example of a barred spiral galaxy in the Hubble sequence - - a scheme used to categorise galaxies based on their shapes. Barred spirals, as the name suggest, feature spectacular swirling arms of stars that emanate from a bar - shaped centre. Such bar structures are common, being found in about two thirds of spiral galaxies, and are thought to act as funnels, guiding gas to their galactic centres where it accumulates to form newborn st

Barree spiral galaxy UGC 12158 - Galaxy UGC 12158 - The galaxy UGC 12158, is about 400 million light years away from Earth in the constellation Pegase. In this image obtained by the Hubble space telescope, a blue star is visible near the center of the galaxy (lower left), it is a supernova, SN 2004ef. The galaxy captured in this image, called UGC 12158, certainly isn't camera - shy: this spiral stunner is posing face - on to the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys, revealing its structure in fine detail. UGC 12158 is an excellent example of a barred spiral galaxy in the Hubble sequence - - a scheme used to categorise galaxies based on their shapes. Barred spirals, as the name suggest, feature spectacular swirling arms of stars that emanate from a bar - shaped centre. Such bar structures are common, being found in about two thirds of spiral galaxies, and are thought to act as funnels, guiding gas to their galactic centres where it accumulates to form newborn st

PIX4613612

Circumpolar in Ecuador - Star Trail from the Equator (Ecuador) - Star line taken from Ecuador, Ecuador. 10 hours of cumulative poses show us more than 90% of all the visible sky (the remaining 10% are drowned in solar light). A shooting star indicates the South Pole to the horizon to the left of the image. The north pole is on the right horizon. This image is an unprecedented star trail image taken from the Equator (this imaginary line that splits the Earth into the two hemispheres) in Ecuador (the country). If you stand on the Equator line you can see the Southern Pole at the horizon to the South (left of the image) and the Northern pole at the horizon on the opposite direction. The Earth rotation will make all the sky and stars look like they rotate around these two points, making them appear as concentric circles (which look like ellipses on this distorsioning fish eye image). Note that on this image, that cumulates 10 hours of exposure starting 1 hour after sunset and finishing 1 h

Circumpolar in Ecuador - Star Trail from the Equator (Ecuador) - Star line taken from Ecuador, Ecuador. 10 hours of cumulative poses show us more than 90% of all the visible sky (the remaining 10% are drowned in solar light). A shooting star indicates the South Pole to the horizon to the left of the image. The north pole is on the right horizon. This image is an unprecedented star trail image taken from the Equator (this imaginary line that splits the Earth into the two hemispheres) in Ecuador (the country). If you stand on the Equator line you can see the Southern Pole at the horizon to the South (left of the image) and the Northern pole at the horizon on the opposite direction. The Earth rotation will make all the sky and stars look like they rotate around these two points, making them appear as concentric circles (which look like ellipses on this distorsioning fish eye image). Note that on this image, that cumulates 10 hours of exposure starting 1 hour after sunset and finishing 1 h

Stephane Guisard

PIX4581325

Nebuleuse N44 in the Great Magellan Cloud - This photo shows the southern part of the spectacular N44 region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The green colour indicates areas that are particularly hot. The field measures 27.5 x 26.5 arcmin2., North is up and East is left. The two best known satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds, are located in the southern sky at a distance of about 170,000 light - years. They host many giant nebular complexes with very hot and luminous stars whose intense ultraviolet radiation causes the surrounding interstellar gas to glow. The intricate and colourful nebulae are produced by ionised gas that shines as electrons and positively charged atomic nuclei recombine, emitting a cascade of photons at well defined wavelengths. Such nebulae are called “” H II regions””, signifying ionised hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen atoms that have lost one electron (protons). Their spectra are characterized by emission lines whose relative intensities carry usefu

Nebuleuse N44 in the Great Magellan Cloud - This photo shows the southern part of the spectacular N44 region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The green colour indicates areas that are particularly hot. The field measures 27.5 x 26.5 arcmin2., North is up and East is left. The two best known satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds, are located in the southern sky at a distance of about 170,000 light - years. They host many giant nebular complexes with very hot and luminous stars whose intense ultraviolet radiation causes the surrounding interstellar gas to glow. The intricate and colourful nebulae are produced by ionised gas that shines as electrons and positively charged atomic nuclei recombine, emitting a cascade of photons at well defined wavelengths. Such nebulae are called “” H II regions””, signifying ionised hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen atoms that have lost one electron (protons). Their spectra are characterized by emission lines whose relative intensities carry usefu

PIX4620812

Planetary nebula NGC 2818 - Planetary nebula NGC 2818 in Pyxis - The open cluster NGC 2818A in the southern constellation of the Compsole is distinguished by the fact that most of its bright stars have already become supernovae; this indicates that this cluster must be very old, perhaps a billion years. It has a planetary nebula, NGC 2818, photographed here by the Hubble space telescope in November 2008. A planetary nebula is an end-of-life star. NGC 2818 (also called PLN 261+8.1) is located about 10,000 light years from Earth. The unique planetary nebula NGC 2818 is nested inside the open star cluster NGC 2818A. Both the cluster and the nebula reside over 10,000 light - years away, in the southern constellation Pyxis (the Compasss). NGC 2818 is one of very few planetary nebulae in our galaxy located within an open cluster. Open clusters, in general, are loosely bound and they disperse over hundreds of millions of years. Stars that form planetary nebulae typically live for billions of

Planetary nebula NGC 2818 - Planetary nebula NGC 2818 in Pyxis - The open cluster NGC 2818A in the southern constellation of the Compsole is distinguished by the fact that most of its bright stars have already become supernovae; this indicates that this cluster must be very old, perhaps a billion years. It has a planetary nebula, NGC 2818, photographed here by the Hubble space telescope in November 2008. A planetary nebula is an end-of-life star. NGC 2818 (also called PLN 261+8.1) is located about 10,000 light years from Earth. The unique planetary nebula NGC 2818 is nested inside the open star cluster NGC 2818A. Both the cluster and the nebula reside over 10,000 light - years away, in the southern constellation Pyxis (the Compasss). NGC 2818 is one of very few planetary nebulae in our galaxy located within an open cluster. Open clusters, in general, are loosely bound and they disperse over hundreds of millions of years. Stars that form planetary nebulae typically live for billions of

PIX4622959

Nebula NGC 604 in the galaxy M33 - NGC 604 star forming nebula - NGC 604, is a very large star-forming region located in the galaxy M33 of the Triangle. This image is a composite of X-ray images (blue) obtained by the Chandra Space Telescope and visible (green and red) by the Hubble Space Telescope. The study of very hot gas observed in X-ray allows us to better understand the star formation activity within this nebula. NGC 604, is one of the largest known seething cauldrons of star birth in a nearby galaxy. NGC 604 is similar to familiar star - birth regions in our Milky Way galaxy, such as the Orion Nebula, but it is vastly larger in extent and contains many more recently formed stars. This monstrous star - birth region contains more than 200 brilliant blue stars within a cloud of glowing gases some 1,300 light - years across, nearly 100 times the size of the Orion Nebula. The bright stars in NGC 604 are extremely young having formed a mere 3 million years ago. The most massive stars

Nebula NGC 604 in the galaxy M33 - NGC 604 star forming nebula - NGC 604, is a very large star-forming region located in the galaxy M33 of the Triangle. This image is a composite of X-ray images (blue) obtained by the Chandra Space Telescope and visible (green and red) by the Hubble Space Telescope. The study of very hot gas observed in X-ray allows us to better understand the star formation activity within this nebula. NGC 604, is one of the largest known seething cauldrons of star birth in a nearby galaxy. NGC 604 is similar to familiar star - birth regions in our Milky Way galaxy, such as the Orion Nebula, but it is vastly larger in extent and contains many more recently formed stars. This monstrous star - birth region contains more than 200 brilliant blue stars within a cloud of glowing gases some 1,300 light - years across, nearly 100 times the size of the Orion Nebula. The bright stars in NGC 604 are extremely young having formed a mere 3 million years ago. The most massive stars

PIX4617509

Irregular dwarf galaxy I Zwicky 18 - Irregular dwarf galaxy I Zwicky 18 - The irregular dwarf galaxy I Zwicky 18 is located 59 million years - light in the Great Bear and extends over about 3000 years - light. The two bright white spots are star-forming regions. At the top left, another galaxy is visible. This galaxy could be interacting with I Zwicky 18. This image is the result of observations made by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2005 and 2006. Called I Zwicky 18, this galaxy has a youthful appearance that resembles galaxies typically found only in the early universe. Hubble has now found faint, older stars within this galaxy, suggesting that the galaxy may have formed at the same time as most other galaxies. I Zwicky 18 is classified as a dwarf irregular galaxy and is much smaller than our Milky Way Galaxy. The concentrated bluish - white knots embedded in the heart of the galaxy are two major starburst regions where stars are forming at a furious rate. The wispy blue filaments sur

Irregular dwarf galaxy I Zwicky 18 - Irregular dwarf galaxy I Zwicky 18 - The irregular dwarf galaxy I Zwicky 18 is located 59 million years - light in the Great Bear and extends over about 3000 years - light. The two bright white spots are star-forming regions. At the top left, another galaxy is visible. This galaxy could be interacting with I Zwicky 18. This image is the result of observations made by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2005 and 2006. Called I Zwicky 18, this galaxy has a youthful appearance that resembles galaxies typically found only in the early universe. Hubble has now found faint, older stars within this galaxy, suggesting that the galaxy may have formed at the same time as most other galaxies. I Zwicky 18 is classified as a dwarf irregular galaxy and is much smaller than our Milky Way Galaxy. The concentrated bluish - white knots embedded in the heart of the galaxy are two major starburst regions where stars are forming at a furious rate. The wispy blue filaments sur

PIX4613873

Proto - planetary nebula OH231.8+4.2 dans la Poupe/HST

Proto - planetary nebula OH231.8+4.2 dans la Poupe/HST

PIX4623703

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