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NGC 253
Digitized Sky Survey image of NGC 253
This image is a colour composite made from exposures from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2). The field of view is approximatelly 3.7 x 3.6 degrees.
HD135344B
Wide-field view of the area of the sky around the star HD 135344B
This image from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) shows the region of the sky around the star HD 135344B. Right at the centre of the image there are two bright stars close to each other; HD 135344B is the one at the bottom.
HD135344B
A planet candidate around the star HD 135344B
The image to the left, taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows a possible planet being born around the young star HD 135344B. This star, located around 440 light-years away, is surrounded by a disc of dust and gas with prominent spiral arms. Theory predicts that planets can sculpt...
V960 Mon
A possible companion in the disc of the star V960 Mon
This image shows a possible companion orbiting the young star V960 Mon. The star, located more than 5000 light-years away, is surrounded by a disc with intricate features. Previous analysis of the disc showed that it contains clumps of unstable material that could collapse to form a companion...
HD135344B
Disc and a candidate planet around the star HD 135344B as seen with ERIS
This image, taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows a spiral disc around the young star HD 135344B. The image was obtained with the VLT’s Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS) instrument, which found a candidate planet that may be sculpting the spiral features in the...
HD135344B
The disc around the star HD 135344B as seen with ALMA
This image, taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), and first released in 2015, shows a planet-forming disc around the young star HD 135344B. The image combines a view of both the gas (blue) and the dust (orange) around the star. The star itself is invisible at these...
HD135344B
A joint VLT and ALMA view of the disc around the star HD 135344B
This image shows the dusty disc around the young star HD 135344B. It’s a combination of data taken with two different facilities: the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research (SPHERE) instrument at ESO’s VLT in red, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in...
HD135344B
The disc around the star HD 135344B as seen with SPHERE
This image, captured with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows a spiral disc around the young star HD 135344B. The image, which was released in 2016, was obtained with the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research (SPHERE) instrument. Spiral features like these can be sculpted...
Sculptor Galaxy
MUSE view of the Sculptor Galaxy
This image shows a detailed, thousand-colour image of the Sculptor Galaxy captured with the MUSE instrument at ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). Regions of pink light are spread throughout this whole galactic snapshot, which come from ionised hydrogen in star-forming regions. These areas have...
V960 Mon
ERIS view of a companion candidate around the star V960 Mon
This image, taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows a possible companion orbiting the young star V960 Mon. The image was captured with the VLT’s Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS) instrument. The properties of the object are unknown: it could be a planet or a brown...
Sculptor Galaxy
MUSE view of ionised gas in the Sculptor Galaxy
This image shows the Sculptor Galaxy in a new light. This false-colour composition shows specific wavelengths of light released by hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen. These elements exist in gas form all over the galaxy, but the mechanisms causing this gas to glow can vary throughout the...
NGC 2835
Noteworthy nearby spiral
Today’s NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Picture of the Week offers a closeup of a nearby spiral galaxy. The subject is NGC 2835, which lies 35 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra (The Water Snake). A previous Hubble image of this galaxy was released in 2020, and the NASA/ESA/CSA...
Messier 96
Taking a third look
Today’s NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Picture of the Week features a galaxy whose asymmetric appearance may be the result of a galactic tug of war. Located 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo, the spiral galaxy Messier 96 is the brightest of the galaxies in its group. The...
WISPIT 2b
A very hungry planet
What appears to be a ripple in space, is today’s Picture of the Week depicting a newborn planet eating its way through its dusty cradle as it orbits its host star. This image, taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, is the first clear detection of a baby planet in a disc with...
LHA 120-N 180B
Digitized Sky Survey image around the HII region LHA 120-N 180B
The image is a colour composite made from exposures from the Digitized Sky Survey 2, and shows the region surrounding LHA 120-N 180B, visible at the centre of the image.
Sagittarius A*
A view of the Milky Way supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* in polarised light
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, who produced the first ever image of our Milky Way black hole released in 2022, has captured a new view of the massive object at the centre of our Galaxy: how it looks in polarised light. This is the first time astronomers have been able to...
30 Doradus
Composite infrared and radio image of 30 Doradus
This composite image shows the star-forming region 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula. The background image, taken in the infrared, is itself a composite: it was captured by the HAWK-I instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for...
30 Doradus
Infrared image of 30 Doradus
This infrared image shows the star-forming region 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula, highlighting its bright stars and light, pinkish clouds of hot gas. The image is a composite: it was captured by the HAWK-I instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Visible and...
30 Doradus
Radio image of the 30 Doradus nebula with data from ALMA
This image shows the star-forming region 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula, in radio wavelengths, as observed by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The bright red-yellow streaks reveal regions of cold, dense gas which have the potential to collapse and form...
Milky Way Galactic Centre
First image of our black hole
This is the first image of Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. It’s the first direct visual evidence of the presence of this black hole. It was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), an array which linked together eight existing radio observatories across...
Messier 87
A view of the M87 supermassive black hole in polarised light
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, who produced the first ever image of a black hole released in 2019, has today a new view of the massive object at the centre of the Messier 87 (M87) galaxy: how it looks in polarised light. This is the first time astronomers have been able to...
Messier 87
Messier 87 Captured by ESO’s Very Large Telescope
Messier 87 (M87) is an enormous elliptical galaxy located about 55 million light years from Earth, visible in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781, but not identified as a galaxy until 20th Century. At double the mass of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and...
LHA 120-N 180B
Bubbles of Brand New Stars
This dazzling region of newly-forming stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) was captured by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The relatively small amount of dust in the LMC and MUSE’s acute vision allowed intricate details of the region to be...
Milky Way Galactic Centre
Wide-field view of the centre of the Milky Way
This visible light wide-field view shows the rich star clouds in the constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer) in the direction of the centre of our Milky Way galaxy. The entire image is filled with vast numbers of stars — but far more remain hidden behind clouds of dust and are only revealed...
Black hole
First image of our black hole (with wider background)
This is the first image of Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy, with an added black background to fit wider screens. It’s the first direct visual evidence of the presence of this black hole. It was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), an array which linked...
Messier 87
The Halo of Galaxy Messier 87
The huge halo around giant elliptical galaxy Messier 87 appears on this very deep image. An excess of light in the top-right part of this halo, and the motion of planetary nebulae in the galaxy, are the last remaining signs of a medium-sized galaxy that recently collided with Messier 87. The...
M87*
First Image of a Black Hole
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) — a planet-scale array of eight ground-based radio telescopes forged through international collaboration — was designed to capture images of a black hole. In coordinated press conferences across the globe, EHT researchers revealed that they succeeded, unveiling...
M 99
Hubble Sees Double in M99
The magnificent spiral galaxy M99 fills the frame in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. M99 — which lies roughly 42 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices — is a “grand design” spiral galaxy, so-called because of the well-defined, prominent spiral...
NGC 45
Low brightness, high interest
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Picture of the Week zooms in on the feathery spiral arms of the galaxy NGC 45, which lies just 22 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale). The data used to create this portrait were drawn from two complementary observing programmes....
NGC 6357
The Lobster Nebula seen with ESO’s VISTA telescope
This image from ESO’s VISTA telescope captures a celestial landscape of vast, glowing clouds of gas and tendrils of dust surrounding hot young stars. This infrared view reveals the stellar nursery known as NGC 6357 in a new light. It was taken as part of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea...
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 NSF...
NGC 6357
Dark Energy Camera Captures Bright, Young Stars Blazing Inside Glowing Nebula
This image, taken by astronomers using the US Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, captures the star-forming nebula NGC 6357, which is located 8000 light-years away in...
A sea monster and a Tarantula
A scene from a star-forming factory shines in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Picture of the Week. This Hubble picture captures incredible details in the dusty clouds in a star-forming region called the Tarantula Nebula. What’s possibly the most amazing aspect of this detailed image is...
Wide-field view of the region of the sky around a ‘cosmic joust’
This wide-field view shows the region of the sky around a pair of interacting galaxies, nicknamed the 'cosmic joust', in which one of them is piercing the other with intense radiation. The galaxies appear as a tiny white dot at the centre of this image. The Atacama Large...
HOPS-315
Jets of silicon monoxide in the baby star HOPS-315
This image shows jets of silicon monoxide (SiO) blowing away from the baby star HOPS-315. The image was obtained with the with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner. The blue jet is moving towards us, and the red one is moving away. Observations...
HOPS-315
ALMA image of HOPS-315, a still-forming planetary system
This is HOPS-315, a baby star where astronomers have observed evidence for the earliest stages of planet formation. The image was taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner. Together with data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), these...
ALMA image of the ‘cosmic joust’
This image, taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), shows the molecular gas content of two galaxies involved in a cosmic collision. The one on the right hosts a quasar –– a supermassive black hole that is accreting material from its surroundings and releasing intense...
Stephenson 2 DFK 52
A unique supergiant star
Today’s Picture of the Week is reminiscent of the 3D images that you require flimsy paper red and cyan glasses to properly view. What we’re seeing in this photo is actually a red supergiant star expelling a cloud of gas and dust as it nears the end of its life. These nebulae are common around...
2M1510 (AB) b
2M1510 AB, a pair of brown dwarfs with an exoplanet in a perpendicular orbit
This image, taken in visible light, shows 2M1510 AB, a pair of brown dwarfs orbiting each other. The two brown dwarfs, A and B, are seen as a single source in this image, but we know there are two of them because they periodically eclipse each other. When monitoring their orbits, astronomers...
L1641N
NGC 1999/L1641N
NOAO astronomers captured this spectacular panorama of star formation with the National Science Foundation's 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak. Located in the constellation of Orion (the Hunter), the area in this image is located about two degrees south of the Orion Nebula, where a surviving...
NGC 7822
NGC 7822
This emission region surrounds a cluster of young, hot stars that lies about 3000 lightyears distant. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.
M50
M50, NGC 2323
M50 is an open cluster in the constellation Monoceros. A modest-sized cluster of perhaps a couple of hundred stars, M50 is about 3000 light-years away and around 20 light-years across. More imaginative eyes have referred to it as 'heart-shaped'. This approximately true-color picture was created...
HFG1
Planetary Nebula HFG1
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. HFG1 is a planetary nebula in the constellation of Cassiopeia. It was produced by a binary star system (V664 Cas) that is moving rapidly through our Galaxy....
Helix Nebula
The Helix Nebula, NGC 7293
This composite picture is a seamless blend of nine ultra-sharp images from the Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys with the wide-field view of the Mosaic Camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The image shows a fine web of filamentary...
NGC 1999
Reflection Nebula NGC 1999
This wide-field panorama of star formation was captured with the National Science Foundation’s Mayall 4-meter telescope on Kitt Peak. Located in the constellation of Orion (the Hunter), the image show a portion of one of Orion’s giant molecular clouds (known as “Orion A”) where new stars are...
NGC 4410
A Galactic Illusion
A wide shot of this Image of the Week captures both NGC 4410 and NGC 4411. In the center of the image, NGC 4411 is a serene pair of spiral galaxies in a deceptive union. Though the companions are thought to be right next to each other — both at a distance of about 50 million light-years from us...
NGC 7331
The Milky Way’s Unusual Twin in Pegasus
The magnificent spiral galaxy NGC 7331, located approximately 40 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus, is the brightest and closest galaxy in the visual galaxy group that bears its name, the NGC 7331 Group. Revealed in the details of this image are populations of hot stars and...
NGC 3628
NGC 3628 and an example of an ultra-compact dwarf galaxy (no annotations)
NGC 3628, sometimes nicknamed the Hamburger Galaxy or Sarah's Galaxy, is an unbarred spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. Extending to the left of NGC 3628 for around 300,000 light-years is a ‘tidal tail’ — an elongated region of stars that arises as a...
TGU H1674
Dark Nebula TGU H1674
This is the dark nebula TGU H1674. Dark nebulae – or absorption nebulae – are clouds of gas and dust that are so dense they obscure and block visible light, making them appear inky black against the starry background. This object is one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3...
PNG 262.4-01.9
Planetary Nebula PNG 262.4-01.9
This is the planetary nebula PNG 262.4-01.9. A planetary nebula is a region of cosmic gas and dust formed from the cast-off outer layers of a dying star. This object is one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3 gigapixel Vela Supernova Remnant image, captured with the Department...
CI Ferrero 54
Globular Star Cluster CI Ferrero 54
This is the globular star cluster CI Ferrero 54. A globular cluster is a spheroidal conglomeration of stars that is bound together by gravity, with a higher concentration of stars towards their centers. This object is one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3 gigapixel Vela...
[FSR2007] 1410
Open Star Cluster [FSR2007] 1410
This is the open star cluster [FSR2007] 1410. An open star cluster is a loosely bound group of a few tens to a few hundred stars. They are found in spiral and irregular galaxies. This object is one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3 gigapixel Vela Supernova Remnant image,...
Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope
Background Galaxy Found in Image of Vela Supernova Remnant
This image shows a distant, twinkling spiral galaxy — one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3 gigapixel Vela Supernova Remnant image, captured with the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, mounted on the US National Science Foundation's Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter...
Pup A
Supernova Remnant Puppis A
Puppis A (Pup A) is a supernova remnant about 100 light-years in diameter and roughly 6500–7000 light-years away. This object is one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3 gigapixel Vela Supernova Remnant image, captured with the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy...
NGC 4753
The Twisted Dusty Disk of NGC 4753
Discovered by astronomer William Herschel in 1784, NGC 4753 displays some truly fascinating features. In this image captured by the Gemini South telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory operated by NSF NOIRLab, the galaxy’s intricate dust lanes are a sight to behold. NGC 4753...
NGC 520
NGC 520
A galactic collision of two galaxies which began more than 300 million years ago, NGC 520 is actually made up of two disk galaxies which will eventually merge together to form one larger, more massive system. NGC 520 was discovered by William Herschel in 1784 and is one of the largest and...
NGC 7727
Gemini South Reveals Tangled Spiral Arms of the Peculiar Galaxy NGC 7727
Gemini South, one half of the International Gemini Observatory operated by NSF NOIRLab, captures the billion-year-old aftermath of a double spiral galaxy collision. At the heart of this chaotic interaction, entwined and caught in the midst of the chaos, is a pair of supermassive black holes —...
IC 4212
IC 4212
IC 4212 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. It is situated close to the celestial equator, meaning it is at least partly visible from both hemispheres in certain times of the year.
NGC 3923
NGC 3923
The onion-like layers of shell galaxy NGC 3923 are beautifully showcased in this image taken with the DOE-built Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab. Located in the constellation Hydra...
PLCKESZ G287.0+32.9
PLCK G287.0+32.9 Gravitational Lensing
An extremely large gravitational lens around galaxy cluster PLCK G287.0+32.9
2MASX J11493310-2814370
Face-on spiral galaxy LEDA 744285
The face-on spiral galaxy LEDA 744285
ESO 440-11
Face-on spiral galaxy ESO 440-11
The face-on spiral galaxy ESO 440-11
M101
Gemini North Back On Sky With Dazzling Image of Supernova in the Pinwheel Galaxy
Gemini North, part of the International Gemini Observatory operated by NSF NOIRLab, is back observing the night sky following the repair and refurbishment of its primary mirror. The telescope’s debut observation captured the supernova dubbed SN 2023ixf (lower left), which was discovered on 19...
M106
Spiral Galaxy Messier 106
This image of the spiral galaxy Messier 106, or NGC 4258, was taken with the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. A popular target for amateur astronomers, Messier 106 can also be spotted with a small telescope in the constellation...
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...
Scorpius constellation
The faint red glow of a free-floating planet
This image shows a small region of the sky in the direction of the Upper Scorpius constellation. It zooms in on a recently discovered free-floating planet, meaning a planet that does not orbit a star but instead roams freely on its own. The free-floating planet is the tiny, bright red dot at...
M106
Wide View of Spiral Galaxy Messier 106
This image of the spiral galaxy Messier 106, or NGC 4258, was taken with the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. A popular target for amateur astronomers, Messier 106 can also be spotted with a small telescope in the constellation...
Cep OB 3b
Rich Young Cluster Cep OB 3b
Cep OB 3b is rich young cluster located in the northern constellation of Cepheus. This image was created by combining individual images observed through four different filters on the 0.9 meter telescope at Kitt Peak: blue, visual (cyan), near infrared (orange) and an emission line of hydrogen...
M31
Panorama of Spiral Galaxy, M31
This image was created with data from the Local Group Survey, completed with the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. M31, M33 and our Milky Way are the three largest members of the Local Group of galaxies. M31 is a spiral galaxy very similar in size...
M45
M45 Pleiades
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona. The Pleiades are an open cluster easily visible to the naked eye. The cluster is dominated by several hot, luminous and massive stars. The blue nebulosity surrounding the...
Carina Nebula
Carina Nebula (NGC 3372)
This image shows a giant star-forming region in the southern sky known as the Carina Nebula (NGC3372), combining the light from 3 different filters tracing emission from oxygen (blue), hydrogen (green), and sulfur (red). The color is also representative of the temperature in the ionized gas:...
IC 342
Spiral Galaxy IC 342
Spiral Galaxy IC 342 is located roughly 11 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Camelopardalis, “the giraffe.” Its face-on appearance in the sky — as opposed to our tilted and edge-on views of many other nearby galaxies, such as the large spiral galaxy Andromeda (M31) — makes IC...
Barnard 175
vdB 152, Barnard 175
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Also known as Barnard 175, vdB 152 is a reflection nebula atop of a dark Bok globule. Embedded in the top right side of the nebula is the Herbig Haro object...
IC 396A
IC 1396A Elephant Trunk Nebula
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. IC 1396 is a giant emission nebula that is over 3 degrees in diameter. It is illuminated by a hot, massive O-type star (HD 206267) near its center. The star...
LDN 810
Dark Nebula LDN 810
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. LDN 810 is a dark nebula that was first cataloged by B.T. Lynds in 1962. The dark region at the center contains gas and dust out of which new stars are...
Sh2-68
Planetary Nebula Sh2-68
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Sh2-68 is an ancient planetary nebula that is estimated to be at least 45,000 years old. The diffuse orange emission to the upper right is the result of the...
NGC 6164
Nebula NGC 6164-5
NGC 6164-5 imaged at Gemini South. The emission nebula NGC 6164-5 is a rectangular, bipolar cloud with rounded corners and a diagonal bar producing an inverted S-shaped appearance. It lies about 1,300 parsecs (4,200 light-years) away in the constellation Norma. The nebula measures about 1.3...
Bubble Nebula
The Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635)
The Bubble Nebula (NGC7635) is one of three shells of gas surrounding the massive star BD+602522, the bright star near the center of the bubble. Energetic radiation from the star ionizes the shell, causing it to glow. About six light-years in diameter, the Bubble Nebula is located in the...
NGC 5189
Nebula NGC 5189
NGC 5189 imaged at Gemini South. NGC 5189, a chaotic-looking planetary nebula that lies about 550 parsecs (1,800 light-years) away in the southern hemisphere constellation Musca, is a parallelogram-shaped cloud of glowing gas. The GMOS image of this nebula shows long streamers of gas, glowing...
NGC 246
Skull Nebula NGC 246
Gemini South Image of the planetary nebula NGC 246 NGC 246 is a planetary nebula that lies about 1,600 light-years away in the constellation Cetus. Its central star shines at 12th magnitude and is whisking through space at about 80 kilometers (50 miles) per second.
Pelican Nebula
Pelican Nebula Ionization Front
This image of the clouds of gas and dust next to the “neck” and “body” of the Pelican Nebula was taken by the National Science Foundation’s Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, AZ. Narrow-band filters were used to isolate the red emission lines of hydrogen and...
NGC 6960
The Veil Nebula, NGC 6960
This image of the Veil Nebula was taken with the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The Veil Nebula (NGC 6960) is part of a supernova remnant known as the Cygnus Loop. It is the shattered remains of one, and possibly two, supernovae that exploded...
NGC 1788
Reflection Nebula NGC 1788
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. NGC 1788 is an unusual reflection nebula (bluish white at the center of the image) surrounded by a glowing red ring of hydrogen gas. The stars inside the...
NGC 7129
Star-forming region NGC 7129
NGC 7129 is a star-forming region and reflection nebula in the constellation of Cepheus. It is about 3000 light-years away from Earth. The stars in this nebula are very young, only about a million years old. The red blobs above and below the nebula are Herbig-Haro objects, which are the result...
Sh2-290
Planetary Nebula Sh2-290
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Sh2-290 is an ancient planetary nebula. A planetary nebula is created when a low-mass star blows off its outer layers at the end of its life. Sh2-290 is one...
NGC 1531
Galactic Waltz NGC 1532-31
The interacting galaxy pair NGC 1532 and NGC 1531 were imaged using the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) at Gemini South in Chile on December 5, 2004. This view reveals spectacular details in the galactic pair embraced in a fiery waltz. The larger galaxy (NGC 1532) is a spiral, and from...
NGC 4410
A Menagerie of Intertwined Galaxies
Collectively known as RSCG 55, this captivating spectacle of gravitationally intertwined galaxies lies in the constellation Virgo. This image was taken by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) which was built by the Department of Energy and mounted on the prime focus of Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter...
NGC 922
The Tidal Tales of NGC 922
In the southern constellation of Fornax lies NGC 922, a peculiar galaxy with a structure that has puzzled astronomers for years. Previously, researchers thought its distinctive features — the stellar plume and off-center galactic bar — resulted from a collision with a nearby dwarf galaxy some...
Dumbbell Nebula
M27 Dumbbell Nebula
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. M27, also known as the 'Dumbbell Nebula', is a famous planetary nebula. The central portion of the nebula is quite bright, however it also has a faint outer...
LDN 673
Lynds’ Dark Nebula 673
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. LDN 673 is part of a giant cloud of dust and gas in the constellation of Aquilla. It is fragmented into many pieces, inside of which are forming stars. Some...
Abell 74
Planetary Nebula Abell 74
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Abell 74 is an ancient planetary nebula. Because of its age it is a very faint target. Ancient planetary nebulae are often distorted in shape due to...
HH 24
Star-Birth “Fireworks”
This Gemini North telescope image reveals no less than six gas jets emerging at supersonic speeds from the reddish Herbig-Haro 24 (HH 24) complex — a small cluster of young stars embedded in a molecular cloud some 1,300 light years distant in the constellation Orion. It is the most detailed...
Arp 271
Gemini South image of NGC 5426-27 (Arp 271)
Gemini South image of NGC 5426-27 (Arp 271) as imaged by the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph.
Fireworks Galaxy
A Mysterious Rash of Star Birth
"A Mysterious Rash of Star Birth In this crisp Gemini North image, pink bubbles of glowing hydrogen gas spread across the arms of the face-on spiral galaxy NGC 6946 like a rash. This amazing infusion of color is fueled by the ubiquitous birth of massive stars throughout NGC 6946; these hot...
Iris Nebula
Iris Nebula NGC 7023
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic Camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory on August 29th, 2009. NGC 7023, also known as the Iris Nebula because of its flower-like shape, is a bright reflection nebula. The bluish glow of the nebula...
Baby Eagle Nebula
Baby Eagle Nebula, LBN 777
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. LBN 777 is a portion of the large cloud of dust and gas known as the Taurus Molecular Cloud. The brownish color is caused by large dust grains embedded in the...
NGC 3628
Edge-on Spiral Galaxy NGC 3628
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. NGC 3628 is a large, edge-on spiral galaxy. It is one of three galaxies in the "Leo Triplet". NGC 3628 has a warped disk and a long tidal tail (the faint blue...
Andromeda Galaxy
Star forming region, NGC 206
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9m-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. NGC 206 is a massive star-forming region (also known as an “OB association”) embedded in the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). It is clearly visible in the center to...
Dumbbell Nebula
Emission line image of M27
This excellent image of the Dumbbell Nebula (M27, NGC6853), a planetary nebula in the constellation of Vulpecula, was taken at the 3.5-meter WIYN telescope using the mini-mosaic imager (described in an NOAO newsletter article). The nebula was formed when an evolved, red giant star ejected its...
NGC 2359
Thor’s Helmet, NGC 2359
Thor’s Helmet in Canis Major is about 15,000 light years distant. A large bright star near the helmet’s center has created this interstellar bubble by the force of its “stellar wind”. However, this star, known as a Wolf-Rayet star, may go supernova in the relatively near astronomical future. In...
Ghost Nebula
Ghost Nebula, vdB 141
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic Camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. vdB 141 is a reflection nebula located in the constellation Cepheus. Sometimes referred to as the ghost nebula, its awkward name is its catalog number in...
Cygnus Loop
NGC 6992 (Cygnus Loop)
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona. NGC 6992 is part of a large supernova remnant called the Cygnus Loop. It is located about 1,500 light-years from Earth. The Cynus Loop is the remains of a star that...
NGC 1313
A Stellar Incubator
Starburst galaxy NGC 1313 is a stellar incubator delivering stars on a scale rarely seen in a single galaxy of its size. As imaged by the Gemini South 8-meter telescope in Chile, a multitude of colorful gas clouds blaze forth from the galaxy’s spiral arms — a tell-tale sign that this...
Eagle Nebula
The Eagle Nebula, M16
This wide-field image of the Eagle Nebula was taken at the National Science Foundation's 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak with the NOAO Mosaic CCD camera. Located in the constellation of Serpens, the Serpent, the Eagle Nebula is a very luminous open cluster of stars surrounded by dust and gas....
M78
M78, NGC 2068
This image of M78, the brightest diffuse reflection nebula in the sky, was taken in 2006 with the Mosaic imager on the Mayall 4-meter telescope on Kitt Peak. Located some 1600 light-years away and around 4 light-years across, M78 is part of the Orion complex, a large region of star-forming gas...
Cocoon Nebula
Sh2-82, Cocoon Nebula
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Informally known as the 'little Trifid Nebula' and the 'Cocoon Nebula', Sh2-82 is a relatively small emission nebula (seen as red) surrounded by a blue...
Cygnus X-1
Cygnus X-1 binary star system
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Cygnus X-1 is a binary star system that contains a black hole. The Cygnus X-1 system looks like a single star in this image. It is the brighter (bottom) of...
MWP1
Planetary Nebula MWP1
None This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. MWP1 is a very usually shaped, unusually large, and unusually old, planetary nebulae. The progenitor star is also one of the hottest stars known, so hot...
NGC 7320
NGC 7320 Stephan’s Quintet
Stephan’s Quintet as imaged by the Gemini Observatory using the Multi-Object Spectrograph on Gemini North. The interacting members of the cluster are almost 300 million light years away. The galaxy NGC7320 (top-center) is thought by most astronomers to be in the foreground (about 8-times...
NGC 1555
T Tauri in NGC 1555
T Tauri is a famous variable star in the constellation of Taurus. In this image, it is the star at the center of the image, embedded in dust and gas. The nebula itself is known as NGC 1555. T Tauri is the prototype for a class of stars (known collectively as "T Tau stars") that are notable...
NGC 7380
Wizard Nebula, NGC 7380
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Informally known as the “Wizard Nebula”, NGC 7380 is an open cluster of stars still embedded in the nebula out of which it formed. The stars are estimated to...
HDW 3
Planetary Nebula HDW 3
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Hartl-Dengel-Weinberger 3 (HDW 3) is a large, ancient planetary nebula. Its distinctive braided shape is the result of the planetary nebula colliding with the...
PN G75.5+1.7
Soap Bubble Nebula, PN G75.5+1.7
Informally known as the "Soap Bubble Nebula", this planetary nebula (officially known as PN G75.5+1.7) was discovered by amateur astronomer Dave Jurasevich on July 6th, 2008. It was noted and reported by Keith Quattrocchi and Mel Helm on July 17th, 2008. This image was obtained with the Kitt...
Orion Nebula
Orion Bullets
Gemini's Laser Vision Reveals Striking New Details in Orion Nebula This composite image at infrared wavelengths was obtained using the Gemini North laser guide star system in conjunction with the ALTAIR adaptive optics system and the NIRI near-infrared imager. The image shows the Orion...
WLM
Wolf–Lundmark–Melotte (WLM) Irregular Galaxy
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic II camera on the Blanco 4-meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory. Wolf–Lundmark–Melotte (WLM) is an irregular galaxy located on the outer edges of the Local Group. WLM is about ten times smaller than our own...
Sh2-126
Sh2-126, the Star Funnel
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Informally known as the 'star funnel', this dark nebula is yellowish in color because it is being illuminated by several bright stars nearby. The funnel is...
NGC 660
NGC 660
"This Gemini North telescope image captures the “bloody” aftermath of one galaxy piercing the heart of another. All the action appears in a single frame, with the stunning polar-ring galaxy NGC 660 as the focus of attention. NGC 660 spans some 40,000 light years across and lies about 40 million...
k61
k61 Planetary Nebula
Gemini Observatory image of Kronberger 61 showing the ionized shell of expelled gas resembling a soccer ball. The light of the nebula is primarily due to ionized oxygen (oxygen-III) emission and its central star can be seen as the slightly bluer star very close to the center of the nebula. The...
Barnard 163
Barnard 163
Barnard 163 is a dark nebula within IC1396, a very large emission nebula complex in the constellation Cepheus. This interstellar cloud was discovered by Edward Emerson (E. E.) Barnard (1857-1923), an American astronomer and pioneer of astrophotography who began as an amateur comet hunter,...
Pickering's Triangle
Double-Wide Image of Pickering's Triangle
A new wide-field image of Pickering's Triangle taken with the National Science Foundation's Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory is being released today in Austin, Texas, at the 211th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Pickering's Triangle is part of the Cygnus...
