Cassiopeia A - The colourful aftermath of a violent stellar death
A new image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope provides a detailed look at the tattered remains of a supernova explosion known as Cassiopeia A (Cas A). It is the youngest known remnant from a supernova explosion in the Milky Way. The new Hubble image shows the complex and intricate...
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
A legendary nebula
The nebula that keeps on giving, Messier 1 (Crab Nebula) is captured here by the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope from Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab. The storied history of this supernova remnant in modern astronomy begins when it was recorded in 1731 by...
Hubble spies a meandering spiral (wide field)
This image shows a wider view of the dim, distant galaxies around the irregular spiral galaxy NGC 5486. 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 core. While this particular galaxy has...
SN2002ic
This image of Supernova 2002ic was taken at the Swope 1-meter telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile on January 7, 2003. The supernova is the bright point of light in the center, at the intersection of two background galaxies. The host galaxy of the supernova is extremely faint and is...
A Storm of Light
The constellation Coma Berenices hosts the galaxy NGC 4495 among myriad other astronomical objects. This galaxy has a tumultuous history: several supernovae have been recorded over the years, including the three named 1994S, 2010lo, and 2011ca. This last burst of energy from a dying star can be...
Celestial fireworks
Resembling the puffs of smoke and sparks from a summer fireworksdisplay in this image from NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, these delicate filaments are actually sheets of debris from a stellar explosion in a neighboring galaxy. Hubble's target was a supernova remnant within the Large...
Dynastic Vibes
The SMARTS 0.9-meter Telescope at Cerro-Tololo International Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab, has captured an echo of the past in this gorgeous Image of the Week. RCW 86 is a literal shell of its former self, the gaseous remnant of a supernova. Some 11,000 years ago a white...
M1, NGC 1952, Crab Nebula
The famous Crab Nebula, Messier object 1 and NGC1952. This image of the well-known Crab Nebula was taken using Ektachrome film at the prime focus of the Kitt Peak 4-meter telescope on October 1st 1973. This is unusual because most astronomical pictures are coloured by combining three different...
Veil Nebula (partial)
The Veil nebula, also known as the Cygnus Loop, is an enormous region of diffuse gas emission, covering several degrees on the sky. Although this image is over a degree across (more than 40 light-years), using the full wide-field capability of the Schmidt telescope, it still shows only the...
Veil Nebula (partial)
The Veil nebula, also known as the Cygnus Loop, is an enormous region of diffuse gas emission, covering several degrees on the sky. Although this image is over a degree across (more than 40 light-years), using the full wide-field capability of the Schmidt telescope, it still shows only the...
Hard X-ray Observations of the Pulsar Wind Nebula G11.2-0.3
Researchers use NuSTAR’s ability to focus X-rays to study high-energy emission from the pulsar wind nebula G11.2-0.3 and the young pulsar PSR J1811-1925 powering it.
Supernova Remnant DEM L316
The Gemini South Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) recently captured a dramatic image of a vast cloud complex named DEM L316 located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The peanut-shaped nebula appears to be a single object, but the latest research indicates that it is really comprised of two...
NGC 4013
NGC 4013 is a relatively small edge-on galaxy in the constellation of Virgo. The structure of this galaxy is very similar to NGC 891- especially the very fine sprays of dust lanes that rise perpendicular to the disk. The actual core of the galaxy is hidden by the central obscuring dust lane....
NGC 3953
Like its more well-known neighbor M109, this galaxy is a surprising copy-cat barred spiral galaxy. Slightly more inclined and with tightly wound arms, NGC 3953 is a seemingly more spirited galaxy 46 million light years away. In 2001 astronomers discovered a supernova in this galaxy. Also note...
M88
M88 displays a set of tight spiral arms and dust lanes in each. A recent supernova (1991) in M88 helped better determine its distance from us. Stars exploding in other galaxies can be used as a "standard candle" since astronomers know their intrinsic brightness (how bright it would appear at a...
NGC 1058
At a distance of 23 million light years away, NGC 1058 is most likely an intrinsically small spiral galaxy. However the host of bright blue and pink regions shows that this galaxy is actively forming stars. NGC 1058 also harbors a bit of a mystery. This galaxy has had several supernovae go off...
IC 443 Widefield
This supernova remnant is about 5000 years from Earth in the constellation Gemini. Can you see why it is sometimes called the Jellyfish Nebula? This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.
A Galaxy of Birth and Death
Captured by the Mosaic camera on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab, the spiral galaxy NGC 2403, also known as Caldwell 7, highlights the dynamic birth and death of stars. The glowing red spots dotting the galaxy are...
Spirals Are In This Season
This stunning image by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features the spiral galaxy NGC 5643 in the constellation of Lupus (The Wolf). Looking this good isn’t easy; thirty different exposures, for a total of 9 hours observation time, together with the high resolution and clarity of Hubble,...
Hubble Captures Supernova in NGC 2525
Pictured here is part of the captivating galaxy NGC 2525. Located nearly 70 million light-years from Earth, this galaxy is part of the constellation of Puppis in the southern hemisphere. Together with the Carina and the Vela constellations, it makes up an image of the Argo from ancient greek...
Galactic Conjunction
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the spiral galaxy NGC 105, which lies roughly 215 million light-years away in the constellation Pisces. While it looks like NGC 105 is plunging edge-on into a collision with a neighbouring galaxy, this is just the result of the chance...
Aftermath of a Cosmic Cataclysm
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the tattered remnant of a supernova — a titanic explosion marking the end of the life of a dying star. This object — known as DEM L249 — is thought to have been created by a Type 1a supernova during the death throes of a white dwarf....
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...
Panoramic Loop in Cygnus
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona. It shows faint filaments that are part of a large supernova remnant called the Cygnus Loop. The Cygnus Loop is a giant supernova remnant. It is the remains of a star that...
M82 Galaxy with Supernova
The supernova SN 2014J is seen in this image near its peak brightness in the first week of February 2014. It appears as a faint star to the lower right of the central region of its host galaxy M82.
Seeing Through a Veil of Dust
The closest supernova of its kind to be observed in the last few decades has sparked a global observing campaign involving legions of instruments on the ground and in space, including NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
The Cigar Galaxy M82
This image shows M82, also known as the "Cigar galaxy," in infrared light, as observed by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope back in 2005.
NGC 4559
This spiral galaxy is located in the direction of Coma Berenices. A type II supernova went off in this galaxy some time ago (SN 1941a). Several papers estimate its apparent magnitude was 13 and absolute magnitude to be around 15.7. From this astronomers would estimate this galaxy to be between...
NGC 4088
This spiral galaxy is located about 50 million lightyears away in the constellation Ursa Major. It had the third brightest supernova to be detected in 2009. It is part of a group of up to 50 other galaxies. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak...
30 Doradus, the Tarantula Nebula, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)
This image of 30 Doradus, the Tarantula Nebula, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) was taken with the Curtis Schmidt telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile, as part of the Magellanic Cloud Emission Line Survey (MCELS) project. The Tarantula Nebula is a giant...
This illustration shows magnetic field lines protruding from a highly magnetic neutron star, or a dense nugget left over after a star goes supernova and explodes. Known as magnetars, these objects generate bright bursts of light that might be powered by their strong magnetic fields.
Lonely Spiral
The lonely spiral galaxy UGC 9391 is shown in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3. This galaxy resides 130 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco near the north celestial pole. The star-studded spiral arms stand in splendid isolation...
The Tortured Clouds of Eta Carinae
Massive stars can wreak havoc on their surroundings, as can be seen in this new view of the Carina nebula from NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope.
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...
Hubble Gazes Sidelong at NGC 3568
In this image, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures a side-on view of NGC 3568, a barred spiral galaxy roughly 57 million light-years from the Milky Way in the constellation Centaurus. In 2014 the light from a supernova explosion in NGC 3568 reached Earth — a sudden flare of light...
IC 1340, part of supernova remnant Cygnus Loop
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 1340 is part of a large supernova remnant called the Cygnus Loop. It is located about 1,500 light-years from Earth. Astronomers estimate the supernova...
Sculptor Galaxy, NGC 253
NGC 253 also goes by the name of “Sculptor Galaxy” after its parent constellation, or by the name “Silver Dollar Galaxy”, presumably after its visual appearance in the eyepiece. NGC 253 is classified as a starburst galaxy, but interestingly, only 1 supernova has been found within it. It is a...
NGC 6962
Based on an estimated distance of 180 million light years away, NGC 6962 is an intrinsically large galaxy. Many other galaxies punctuate the field of the group; but NGC 6962 is by far the most prominent. In 2002 a supernova explosion took place in one the outer arms of this galaxy. The event...
Cosmic Fireworks
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Picture of the Week features the galaxy NGC 6984, an elegant spiral galaxy in the constellation Indus roughly 200 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy is a familiar sight for Hubble, having already been captured in 2013. The sweeping spiral arms...
Invisible Galactic Gale
NGC 4666 takes centre stage in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This majestic spiral galaxy lies about 80 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, and is undergoing a particularly intense episode of star formation. Astronomers refer to galaxies which are forming...
Edge-on galaxy hosts supernova explosion
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has imaged an elongated stream of stars, gas and dust called IC 755, which is actually a spiral galaxy that we are seeing edge-on. In 1999 a star within IC 755 was seen to explode as a supernova and named SN 1999an. The supernova was discovered by the Beijing...
The Stellar Forge
An orange glow radiates from the centre of NGC 1792, the heart of this stellar forge. Captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, this intimate view of NGC 1792 gives us some insight into this galactic powerhouse. The vast swathes of tell-tale blue seen throughout the galaxy indicate areas...
Revealing the Supernova in Arp 148
This image shows galaxy Arp 148, captured by NASA's Spitzer and Hubble telescopes. Inside the white circle is specially-processed Spitzer data, which reveals infrared light from a supernova that is hidden by dust. Supernovae are massive stars that have exploded after running out of fuel. They...
Sharpless 157 (WR 157)
This image of Supernova 2002ic was taken at the Swope 1-meter telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile on January 7, 2003. The supernova is the bright point of light in the center, at the intersection of two background galaxies. The host galaxy of the supernova is extremely faint and is...
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...
Veil Filaments (Cygnus Loop)
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. It shows faint filaments that are part of a large supernova remnant called the Cygnus Loop. It is located about 1,500 light-years from Earth. These filaments...
Supernova Remnant, G70.5+1.9
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. G70.5+1.9 is located near the edge of the giant HII emission nebula Sharpless 100 (Sh2-100). It is likely a supernova remnant, the leftovers of a star that...
A Scattering of Stars
This Picture of the Week depicts the open star cluster NGC 330, which lies around 180,000 light-years away inside the Small Magellanic Cloud. The cluster which is in the constellation Tucana (The Toucan) contains a multitude of stars, many of which are scattered across this striking image....
IC 443: What Spawned the Jellyfish Nebula?
A supernova remnant nicknamed the "Jellyfish Nebula" located about 5,000 light years from Earth.
A Spiral Amongst Friends
This image, taken with Hubbles Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), features the spiral galaxy NGC 4680. At 2 oclock and 7 oclock two other galaxies can be seen flanking NGC 4680. NGC 4680 enjoyed a wave of attention in 1997, as it played host to a supernova explosion known as SN 1997bp. Amazingly, the...
Wide-Field View of the Supernova Remnant 1E 0102.2-7219
Pictured here is the region of sky around the supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219. Researchers have studied the Hubble archive looking for visible-light images of the supernova remnant and they have analysed the data to calculate a more accurate estimate of the age and centre of the supernova blast.
Hubble Captures the Supernova Remnant 1E 0102.2-7219
Featured in this Hubble image is an expanding, gaseous corpse a supernova remnant known as 1E 0102.2-7219. It is the remnant of a star that exploded long ago in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way located roughly 200 000 light-years away. Because the gaseous knots...
Big, Beautiful and Blue
NGC 2336 is the quintessential galaxy big, beautiful and blue and it is captured here by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The barred spiral galaxy stretches an immense 200 000 light-years across and is located approximately 100 million light years away in the northern constellation of...
Return to the Veil Nebula
This Picture of the Week revisits the Veil Nebula, a popular subject for Hubble images! This object was featured in a previous Hubble photo release, but now new processing techniques have been applied, bringing out fine details of the nebulas delicate threads and filaments of ionised gas. To...
Cosmic Ripples image created with FITS Liberator
This image was liberated with the FITS Liberator from the FITS file from the Gemini North telescope. It captures the heart of Messier 1, the Crab Nebula. Formed by a colossal supernova explosion in the year 1054, the Crab Nebula consists of the outer layers of a now-dead massive star strewn...
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