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Looking like an apparition rising from whitecaps of interstellar foam, the iconic Horsehead Nebula has graced astronomy books ever since its discovery more than a century ago. The nebula is a favourite target for amateur and professional astronomers. It is shadowy in optical light. It appears transparent and ethereal when seen at infra-red wavelengths.
1/29Looking like an apparition rising from whitecaps of interstellar foam, the iconic Horsehead Nebula has graced astronomy books ever since its discovery more than a century ago. The nebula is a favourite target for amateur and professional astronomers. It is shadowy in optical light. It appears transparent and ethereal when seen at infra-red wavelengths.
Hubble’s 20th anniversary image — and one of the most famous it has produced — shows a mountain of dust and gas rising in the Carina Nebula. The top of a three-light-year tall pillar of cool hydrogen is being worn away by the radiation of nearby stars, while stars within the pillar unleash jets of gas that stream from the peaks.
2/29Hubble’s 20th anniversary image — and one of the most famous it has produced — shows a mountain of dust and gas rising in the Carina Nebula. The top of a three-light-year tall pillar of cool hydrogen is being worn away by the radiation of nearby stars, while stars within the pillar unleash jets of gas that stream from the peaks.
With South Australia’s St Vincents Gulf and Kangaroo Island as a backdrop, astronaut Story Musgrove is elevated to top of the Hubble Space Telescope on one of the several maintenance missions which have kept the groundbreaking satellite working. The telescope orbits 559km above the Earth.
3/29With South Australia’s St Vincents Gulf and Kangaroo Island as a backdrop, astronaut Story Musgrove is elevated to top of the Hubble Space Telescope on one of the several maintenance missions which have kept the groundbreaking satellite working. The telescope orbits 559km above the Earth.
Gas released by a dying star races across space at almost 1 million km/h, forming the delicate shape of a celestial butterfly. This nebula is also known as NGC 6302 or the Bug Nebula..
4/29Gas released by a dying star races across space at almost 1 million km/h, forming the delicate shape of a celestial butterfly. This nebula is also known as NGC 6302 or the Bug Nebula..
Thousands of stars form in the cloud of gas and dust known as the Orion nebula, otherwise known as M42, a stellar nursery where new stars are born. More than 3000 stars of various sizes appear in this image. Some of them have never been seen in visible light.
5/29Thousands of stars form in the cloud of gas and dust known as the Orion nebula, otherwise known as M42, a stellar nursery where new stars are born. More than 3000 stars of various sizes appear in this image. Some of them have never been seen in visible light.
Probably Hubble’s most famous image, this shows newborn stars emerging from “eggs” — not the barnyard variety — but rather dense, compact pockets of interstellar gas called evaporating gaseous globules (EGGs). Hubble found the “EGGs,” appropriately enough, in the Eagle Nebula, a nearby star-forming region 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Serpens.
6/29Probably Hubble’s most famous image, this shows newborn stars emerging from “eggs” — not the barnyard variety — but rather dense, compact pockets of interstellar gas called evaporating gaseous globules (EGGs). Hubble found the “EGGs,” appropriately enough, in the Eagle Nebula, a nearby star-forming region 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Serpens.
This 14 May 2009 photo provided by NASA shows astronaut John Grunsfeld performing a spacewalk to work on the Hubble Space Telescope. The reflection in his helmet visor shows astronaut Andrew Feustel taking the photo while perched on the end of the remote manipulator system arm.
7/29This 14 May 2009 photo provided by NASA shows astronaut John Grunsfeld performing a spacewalk to work on the Hubble Space Telescope. The reflection in his helmet visor shows astronaut Andrew Feustel taking the photo while perched on the end of the remote manipulator system arm.
This is the Cone Nebula within the bright galactic star-forming region NGC 2264. Some have claimed this looks like an image of Jesus Christ. Radiation from hot stars off the top of the picture illuminates and erodes this giant, gaseous pillar. Additional ultraviolet radiation causes the gas to glow, giving the pillar its red halo of light.
8/29This is the Cone Nebula within the bright galactic star-forming region NGC 2264. Some have claimed this looks like an image of Jesus Christ. Radiation from hot stars off the top of the picture illuminates and erodes this giant, gaseous pillar. Additional ultraviolet radiation causes the gas to glow, giving the pillar its red halo of light.
A ribbon of gas, a very thin section of a supernova remnant caused by a stellar explosion that occurred more than 1000 years ago, floats in our galaxy. The supernova that created it was probably the brightest star ever seen by humans. It was visible even during the day for weeks, and remained visible to the naked eye for at least two and a half years before fading away.
9/29A ribbon of gas, a very thin section of a supernova remnant caused by a stellar explosion that occurred more than 1000 years ago, floats in our galaxy. The supernova that created it was probably the brightest star ever seen by humans. It was visible even during the day for weeks, and remained visible to the naked eye for at least two and a half years before fading away.
Another supernova remnant. this time a bauble of gas in our neighburing galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. It was formed in the aftermath of a supernova explosion that took place four centuries ago.
10/29Another supernova remnant. this time a bauble of gas in our neighburing galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. It was formed in the aftermath of a supernova explosion that took place four centuries ago.
Voted number one by British scientists as the best picture taken by the Hubble telescope, the Sombrero galaxy lies 28 million light years from Earth. The dimensions of this galaxy, officially called M104, are as spectacular as its appearance. It has 800 billion suns and is 50,000 light years across. A brilliant white core is encircled by thick dust lanes in this spiral galaxy, seen edge-on.
11/29Voted number one by British scientists as the best picture taken by the Hubble telescope, the Sombrero galaxy lies 28 million light years from Earth. The dimensions of this galaxy, officially called M104, are as spectacular as its appearance. It has 800 billion suns and is 50,000 light years across. A brilliant white core is encircled by thick dust lanes in this spiral galaxy, seen edge-on.
The Cat’s Eye Nebula, one of the first planetary nebulae discovered, also has one of the most complex forms known to this kind of nebula. Eleven rings, or shells, of gas make up the Cat’s Eye. Each ring is actually the edge of a spherical bubble seen projected onto the sky which is why it appears bright along its outer edge
12/29The Cat’s Eye Nebula, one of the first planetary nebulae discovered, also has one of the most complex forms known to this kind of nebula. Eleven rings, or shells, of gas make up the Cat’s Eye. Each ring is actually the edge of a spherical bubble seen projected onto the sky which is why it appears bright along its outer edge
Three of the galaxies in this famous grouping, Stephan’s Quintet, are distorted from their gravitational interactions with one another. One member of the group, NGC 7320 (upper right), is actually seven times closer to Earth than the rest.
13/29Three of the galaxies in this famous grouping, Stephan’s Quintet, are distorted from their gravitational interactions with one another. One member of the group, NGC 7320 (upper right), is actually seven times closer to Earth than the rest.
This image was taken within minutes of Mars’ closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years, on August 27, 2003. In this picture, the red planet is 55,757,930km from Earth..
14/29This image was taken within minutes of Mars’ closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years, on August 27, 2003. In this picture, the red planet is 55,757,930km from Earth..
The Carina Nebula is bathed in the light of hot, massive stars. Radiation and fast winds from the stars sculpt the pillar and cause new star formation within it. Hubble’s 20th anniversary image shows a mountain of dust and gas rising in the Carina Nebula.
15/29The Carina Nebula is bathed in the light of hot, massive stars. Radiation and fast winds from the stars sculpt the pillar and cause new star formation within it. Hubble’s 20th anniversary image shows a mountain of dust and gas rising in the Carina Nebula.
The death of star V838 Monocretis as captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
16/29The death of star V838 Monocretis as captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
In this striking image of the planetary nebula NGC 5189 the intricate structure of the stellar eruption looks like a giant and brightly coloured ribbon in space.
17/29In this striking image of the planetary nebula NGC 5189 the intricate structure of the stellar eruption looks like a giant and brightly coloured ribbon in space.
Thanks to Hubble, in 2006 astronomers witnessed for the first time the birth of a new red spot on the giant planet, which is located half a billion miles away. The storm is roughly one-half the diameter of its bigger and legendary cousin.
18/29Thanks to Hubble, in 2006 astronomers witnessed for the first time the birth of a new red spot on the giant planet, which is located half a billion miles away. The storm is roughly one-half the diameter of its bigger and legendary cousin.
This detailed image of the Crab Nebula taken in 2005 was one of the largest ever produced with the Hubble Space Telescope at the time.
19/29This detailed image of the Crab Nebula taken in 2005 was one of the largest ever produced with the Hubble Space Telescope at the time.
The spiral galaxy M51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy, and its companion galaxy (R).
20/29The spiral galaxy M51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy, and its companion galaxy (R).
This Hubble composite of 18 separate images provides a detailed look at the tattered remains of a 440 million year old supernova explosion known as 'Cassiopeia A' (Cas A) in the constellation of Aries. It is the youngest known remnant from a supernova explosion in the Milky Way.
21/29This Hubble composite of 18 separate images provides a detailed look at the tattered remains of a 440 million year old supernova explosion known as 'Cassiopeia A' (Cas A) in the constellation of Aries. It is the youngest known remnant from a supernova explosion in the Milky Way.
This 1998 Hubble image shows a Seyfert 2 active galaxy, a type that is probably powered by a black hole residing in its core (the large yellow portion C). The lumpy, thick ring around the core is an area of active starbirth about 3,000 light-years from the core.
22/29This 1998 Hubble image shows a Seyfert 2 active galaxy, a type that is probably powered by a black hole residing in its core (the large yellow portion C). The lumpy, thick ring around the core is an area of active starbirth about 3,000 light-years from the core.
A 2003 Hubble image of what is believed to be the coldest place in the universe, the bow tie-shaped Boomerang Nebula.
23/29A 2003 Hubble image of what is believed to be the coldest place in the universe, the bow tie-shaped Boomerang Nebula.
The dramatic shape and colour of the Ring Nebula, otherwise known as Messier 57. From Earth’s perspective, the nebula looks like a simple elliptical shape with a shaggy boundary. However, new observations combining existing ground-based data with new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope data show that the nebula is shaped like a distorted doughnut.
24/29The dramatic shape and colour of the Ring Nebula, otherwise known as Messier 57. From Earth’s perspective, the nebula looks like a simple elliptical shape with a shaggy boundary. However, new observations combining existing ground-based data with new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope data show that the nebula is shaped like a distorted doughnut.
A Hubble panoramic view of a colorful assortment of 100,000 stars residing in the crowded core of a giant star cluster. The image reveals a small region inside the massive globular cluster Omega Centauri, which boasts nearly 10 million stars.
25/29A Hubble panoramic view of a colorful assortment of 100,000 stars residing in the crowded core of a giant star cluster. The image reveals a small region inside the massive globular cluster Omega Centauri, which boasts nearly 10 million stars.
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