Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy in infrared light, this nearby dwarf galaxy looks like a fiery, circular explosion. Rather than fire, however, those ribbons are actually giant ripples of dust spanning tens or hundreds of light-years.

January 10th, 2012

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This image from the Herschel Space Observatory shows most the cloud associated with the Rosette nebula, a stellar nursery about 5,000 light-years from Earth in the Monoceros, or Unicorn, constellation.

April 12th, 2010

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Artist concept of the Herschel Space Observatory front view.

December 1st, 2000

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Artist concept of the Herschel Space Observatory side view.

December 1st, 2000

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This is one of the early spectra obtained with the PACS integral field spectrometer on Herschel. Shown here is a spectral scan of one of the emission lines detected by PACS in the Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy (ULIRG) known as Markarian 231.

November 27th, 2009

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This image, in the constellation of Vulpecula, shows an entire assembly line of newborn stars. The diffuse glow reveals the widespread cold reservoir of raw material that our Galaxy has in stock for building stars.

May 6th, 2010

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