Dark Matter Map in Galaxy Cluster Abell 1689 – Astronomy Picture of the Week
This image represents the inner region of galaxy cluster Abell 1689 and the distribution of dark matter around it. Abell 1689 is an immense cluster of galaxies located 2.2 billion light-years away. Dark matter cannot be photographed, but its presence can be inferred by observing the light from background galaxies…
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud
This composite image of the nebula near the star cluster NGC 2074 was taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on August 10, 2008, in commemoration of completing its 100,000th orbit in its 18th year since the beginning of the mission.
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Hubble Finds Ring of Dark Matter
This composite image of a ghostly ring of dark matter in the galaxy cluster Cl 0024+17 was taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in November 2004. A false color map is superimposed on a Hubble image of the cluster in order to make the cluster's dark matter distribution more evident.
Ara Constellation
Explore the Ara constellation with its mythological roots, notable stars like Beta Arae, a star with planets, and fascinating deep-sky objects.
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Pandora’s Cluster
This galaxy cluster commonly known as Pandora's Cluster is officially named Abell 2744. As observed by a team of scientists, the cluster has a complex and violent history. The giant galaxy cluster appears to be the result of a simultaneous pile-up of at least four separate, smaller galaxy clusters.
Aquila Constellation
Discover Aquila, the eagle, in Greek mythology. Explore its notable stars like Altair and Alshain, as well as intriguing deep-sky objects.
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Rings of Uranus
This series of images of the rings of Uranus were taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. They were taken at different times when the rings were facing the Earth at slightly different angles. In the third image, the edge-on rings appear as two spikes above and below the planet.
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Interacting Galaxy NGC 7469
This stunning pair of interacting galaxies are in the process of merging. The barred spiral Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 7469 and its smaller companion IC 5283 are both located about 200 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Pegasus. This image was taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Jupiter as seen by Hubble
This image of Jupiter was taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on June 7, 2010. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, M.H. Wong (University of Califoria, Berkeley), H.B. Hammel (Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo.), A.A. Simon-Miller (Goddard Space Flight Center), and…
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Spiral Galaxy NGC 2841
This view of the majestic disk of stars and dust lanes of the spiral galaxy NGC 2841 was taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in 2010. The galaxy lies 46 million light-years away in the constellation of Ursa Major. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration Acknowledgments: M. Crockett and S. Kaviraj (Oxford University, UK), R. O’Connell (University of Virginia), B. Whitmore (STScI), and the WFC3 Scientific Oversight Committee
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Mars as seen by Hubble
This is one of the best photos of Mars ever taken from Earth or Low Earth Orbit. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope took this close-up of the red planet Mars when it was just 88 million kilometers away. This color image was assembled from a series of exposures taken within 36 hours of the Mars closest approach…
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Whirlpool Galaxy
This image of the spiral galaxy M51, dubbed the Whirlpool Galaxy, was taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. M51 is a typical spiral galaxy which includes graceful, curving arms, pink star-forming regions, and brilliant blue strands of star clusters. It is located at a distance of approximately 31 million light-years from the Milky Way Galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is one of the most famous galaxies in the sky. M51 can easily be observed by amateur astronomers, and may even be seen with binoculars. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI), and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)