WR 124
WR 124 (MIRI Image)
Wolf-Rayet stars are known to be efficient dust producers, and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows this to great effect. Cooler cosmic dust glows at the longer mid-infrared wavelengths, displaying the structure of WR 124’s nebula. The nebula is made of...
Illustration of a Kilonova
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope will survey the same areas of the sky every few days following its launch in May 2027. Researchers will mine these data to identify kilonovae – explosions that happen when two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole collide and merge. When these collisions...
RCW 86
DECam Images RCW 86, Remains of Supernova Witnessed in 185
The tattered shell of the first-ever recorded supernova was captured by the US Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, which is mounted on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of...
UGCA 307
Hubble’s neighbourhood watch
UGCA 307 hangs against an irregular backdrop of distant galaxies in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The small galaxy consists of a diffuse band of stars containing red bubbles of gas that mark regions of recent star formation, and lies roughly 26 million light-years from...
NGC 5486
Hubble spies a meandering spiral
The irregular spiral galaxy NGC 5486 hangs against a background of dim, distant galaxies in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The tenuous disc of the galaxy is threaded through with pink wisps of star formation, which stand out from the diffuse glow of the galaxy’s bright...
IC 5337
Portrait of a galactic jellyfish
The galaxy JW100 features prominently in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, with streams of star-forming gas dripping from the disc of the galaxy like streaks of fresh paint. These tendrils of bright gas are formed by a process called ram pressure stripping, and their...
Abell 3158
Image of Abell 3158, Part of the DESI Legacy Imaging Survey
This is an image centered on a relatively nearby galaxy cluster dubbed Abell 3158; light from these galaxies had a redshift value of 0.059, meaning that it traveled approximately 825 million years on its journey to Earth. The image is a small part of the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys — a...
Ka 364
Galactic Seascape
A jellyfish galaxy with trailing tentacles of stars hangs in inky blackness in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. As Jellyfish galaxies move through intergalactic space they are slowly stripped of gas, which trails behind the galaxy in tendrils illuminated by clumps of star...
Mira
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, No It's Mira!
A close-up view of a star racing through space faster than a speeding bullet can be seen in this image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. The star, called Mira, is traveling at 130 kilometers per second, or 291,000 miles per hour. As it hurls along, it sheds material that will be recycled...
NGC 5560
Galaxy Trio: NGC 5566, NGC 5560, and NGC 5569
NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows a triplet of galaxies in the Virgo cluster: NGC 5560 (top galaxy), NGC 5566 (middle galaxy), and NGC 5569 (bottom galaxy).
Planets Under a Red Sun
This artist's concept illustrates a young, red dwarf star surrounded by three planets. Such stars are dimmer and smaller than yellow stars like our sun, which makes them ideal targets for astronomers wishing to take images of planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets.
UGC 1382
Frankenstein Galaxy
At left, in optical light, UGC 1382 appears to be a simple elliptical galaxy. But spiral arms emerged when astronomers incorporated ultraviolet and deep optical data (middle). Combining that with a view of low-density hydrogen gas (shown in green at right), scientists discovered that UGC 1382 is...
NGC 935
Galactic Train Wreck
This image shows an example of colliding galaxies from a new photo atlas of galactic "train wrecks".
NGC 3448
Galactic Train Wreck
This image shows an example of colliding galaxies from a new photo atlas of galactic "train wrecks".
NGC 1566
A Lesson in Counting Stars
These two photographs were made by combining data from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer spacecraft and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. By combining the data, astronomers were able to learn that not all galaxies make stars of different sizes in the same quantities, as was...
After the Explosion: Investigating Supernova Sites
A new study analyzes several sites where dead stars once exploded. The explosions, called Type Ia supernovae, occurred within galaxies, six of which are shown in these images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
NGC 470
Galactic Train Wreck
This image shows an example of colliding galaxies from a new photo atlas of galactic "train wrecks".
Veil Nebula
Cygnus Loop Nebula
Wispy tendrils of hot dust and gas glow brightly in this ultraviolet image of the Cygnus Loop nebula, taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer.
Little Galaxies Pack a Big Punch
These postage-stamp images were taken by the ultraviolet-sensing GALEX -- the top row shows four galaxies that each produced a typical supernova, while the bottom row shows four galaxies that each produced an ultra-bright supernova.
Blue Ring Nebula
Blue Ring Nebula
Located 6,300 light-years away in the constellation Hercules, the Blue Ring Nebula is thought to be a short-lived phase after the merger of two stars. As debris from the stellar merger was blown outward, it led to the creation of a shock front, in which hydrogen atoms were excited and induced to...
After the Explosion: Investigating Supernova Sites (Annotated)
A new study analyzes several sites where dead stars once exploded. The explosions, called Type Ia supernovae, occurred within galaxies, six of which are shown in these images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
Ultraviolet Ring of Stars
This image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows Messier 94, also known as NGC 4736, in ultraviolet light. It is located 17 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici.
Galaxy's Pencil-Thin Profile
This image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows NGC 4565, one of the nearest and brightest galaxies not included in the famous list by 18th-century comet hunter Charles Messier.
NGC 300
NGC 300
This image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows the galaxy NGC 300, located about seven million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor.
Jupiter's Ghost
The Extended Region Around the Planetary Nebula NGC 3242
This ultraviolet image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows NGC 3242, a planetary nebula frequently referred to as "Jupiter's Ghost."
Mira
Evolution of Mira's Enormous Tail
This chart illustrates the length (top) and age (bottom) of a long comet-like tail of material trailing behind a speeding star called Mira (pronounced My-rah). Mira is located in the bulb-shaped structure at right, but it is very small compared to the tail and is difficult to distinguish. The...
Triangulum Galaxy
Stars and Dust in the Triangulum Galaxy
NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer Mission celebrates its sixth anniversary studying galaxies beyond our Milky Way through its sensitive ultraviolet telescope, the only such far-ultraviolet detector in space. This image is a blend of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer's M33 image and another taken by...
NGC 404
"Ghost of Mirach" Rears its Spooky Head
The "Ghost of Mirach" galaxy is shown in ultraviolet as seen by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. The Ghost of Mirach -- a galaxy called NGC 404 -- is seen as the whitish spot in the center of the image.
M101
Structural Integrity of the Pinwheel Galaxy
The structural integrity of M101, or the Pinwheel Galaxy, is revealed in this classic image from GALEX.
NGC 1316
NGC 1316
This image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows the galaxy NGC 1316, located about 62 million light-years away in the constellation Fornax. The elliptical-shaped galaxy may be in the late stages of merging with a smaller companion galaxy.
NGC 4569
NGC 4569
This image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows the galaxy NGC 4569, located about four million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It is one of the largest and brightest spiral galaxies found in the Virgo cluster of galaxies, the nearest major galaxy cluster to our Milky Way galaxy.
Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda, the Galaxy Next Door
At approximately 2.5 million light-years away, the Andromeda Galaxy, or M31, is our Milky Way's largest galactic neighbor. The entire galaxy spans 260,000 light-years across -- a distance so large, it took 10 GALEX images stitched together to produce this view of the galaxy next door.
Big Brother to the Milky Way
This image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows NGC 6744, one of the galaxies most similar to our Milky Way in the local universe.
Blue Ring Nebula
Blue Ring Nebula
Located 6,300 light-years away in the constellation Hercules, the Blue Ring Nebula is thought to be a short-lived phase after the merger of two stars. As debris from the stellar merger was blown outward, it led to the creation of a shock front, in which hydrogen atoms were excited and induced to...
NGC 1291
NGC 1291
This image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows the galaxy NGC 1291, located about 33 million light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. NGC 1291 is notable for its unusual inner bar and outer ring structure.
IC 3418
Now You See a Tail, Now You Don't
NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer found a tail behind a galaxy called IC 3418.
Ultraviolet Ring around the Galaxies
Astronomers have found unexpected rings and arcs of ultraviolet light around a selection of galaxies, four of which are shown here as viewed by NASA's and the European Space Agency's Hubble Space Telescope.
M106
A Cosmic Embrace
From 22 million light-years away, galaxy M106 extends two ultraviolet-bright spiral arms in this image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer.
Triangulum Galaxy
The Ultraviolet Stars and Infrared Dust of the Triangulum Galaxy
NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer Mission celebrates its sixth anniversary studying galaxies beyond our Milky Way through its sensitive ultraviolet telescope, the only such far-ultraviolet detector in space. This image is a blend of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer's M33 image and another taken by...
IC 3418
Now You See a Tail, Now You Don't
NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer found a tail behind a galaxy called IC 3418.
Triangulum Galaxy
The Ultraviolet Triangulum Galaxy
NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer Mission celebrates its sixth anniversary studying galaxies beyond our Milky Way through its sensitive ultraviolet telescope, the only such far-ultraviolet detector in space. The image shows a map of the recent star formation history of M33.
Adding up Stars in a Galaxy
This diagram illustrates the extent to which astronomers have been underestimating the proportion of small to big stars in certain galaxies.
Seeing Baby Dwarf Galaxies
The unique ultraviolet vision of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer reveals, for the first time, dwarf galaxies forming out of nothing more than pristine gas likely leftover from the early universe. Dwarf galaxies are relatively small collections of stars that often orbit around larger galaxies...
M83
Ultraviolet Extensions
This ultraviolet image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows the Southern Pinwheel galaxy, also know as Messier 83 or M83.
NGC 404
"Ghost of Mirach" Rears its Spooky Head
The "Ghost of Mirach" -- a galaxy called NGC 404 -- is seen as the whitish spot in the center of this visible light image.
M83
Beyond the Borders of a Galaxy
The outlying regions around the Southern Pinwheel galaxy, or M83, are highlighted in this composite image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer and the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array in New Mexico.
GALEX_J232539.24+004507.1
Nearby Newborns
This image shows six of the three-dozen "ultraviolet luminous galaxies" spotted in our corner of the universe by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. These massive galaxies greatly resemble newborn galaxies that were common in the early universe.
Andromeda Galaxy
The Galaxy Next Door in Ultraviolet
Hot stars burn brightly in this new image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer, showing the ultraviolet side of a familiar face.
NGC 362
NGC 362
This image is a ultraviolet color composite, where light detected by GALEX's far-ultraviolet detector is colored blue, and light from GALEX's near-ultraviolet detector is red.
Mira
Johnny Appleseed of the Cosmos
A new ultraviolet mosaic from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows a speeding star that is leaving an enormous trail of "seeds" for new solar systems. The star, named Mira, is shedding material that will be recycled into new stars, planets and possibly even life as it hurls through our galaxy.
Z Camelopardalis
Ghostly Remnant of an Explosive Past
This enhanced image from the far-ultraviolet detector on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows a ghostly shell of ionized gas around Z Camelopardalis, a binary, or double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star known as a white dwarf, and a companion star.
M81
Classic Galaxy With Glamour
In a new ultraviolet image, the magnificent M81 spiral galaxy is shown at the center.
NGC 4522
NGC 4522 Stripped
This image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows galaxy NGC 4522 being stripped of its star-forming material. Astronomers refer to this process as "ram-pressure stripping" - where surrounding hot-gas shoves star-forming gas out of the galaxy's outer disk.
An Unwelcome Place for New Stars
This artist's concept depicts a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy. NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer found evidence that black holes - once they grow to a critical size - stifle the formation of new stars in elliptical galaxies. Black holes are thought to do this by heating up and...
EF Eridani
The Stars of EF Eri
This artist's concept depicts subtle mass transfer between the stars of EF Eridanus, nicknamed EF Eri for short. Located 300 light-years away, EF Eri is binary (two star) cataclysmic variable system. In this system a white dwarf, or a dead star with approximately 60 percent of our Sun's mass...
NGC 4625
Look at My Arms!
This image shows the hidden spiral arms that were discovered around the galaxy called NGC 4625 (top) by the ultraviolet eyes of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. An armless companion galaxy called NGC 4618 is pictured below.
Cartwheel Galaxy
Multi-Wavelength Composite
This false-color composite image shows the Cartwheel galaxy as seen by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer's Far Ultraviolet detector (blue); the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera-2 in B-band visible light (green); the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) at 8...
Black Hole Grabs Starry Snack
This artist's concept shows a supermassive black hole at the center of a remote galaxy digesting the remnants of a star. NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer had a "ringside" seat for this feeding frenzy, using its ultraviolet eyes to study the process from beginning to end.
NGC 1512
Gravitational Dance: NGC 1512 and NGC 1510
In this image, the wide ultraviolet eyes of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer show spiral galaxy NGC 1512 sitting slightly northwest of elliptical galaxy NGC 1510. The two galaxies are currently separated by a mere 68,000 light-years, leading many astronomers to suspect that a close encounter is...
NGC 1851
Stellar Parties
Like confetti at a party, the diverse stellar populations of globular clusters NGC 1851 and 1904 display a spectacular range of colors in these three-channel composites.
