![]() ssc2020-11b 04.29.20 Sizes of Black Holes in Galaxy OJ 287 Relative to the Solar SystemTwo supermassive black holes are locked in an orbital dance at the core of the distant galaxy OJ 287. This diagram sh... view image |
![]() ssc2020-11a 04.28.20 Black Hole Disk Flare in Galaxy OJ 287This image shows two massive black holes in the OJ 287 galaxy. The smaller black hole orbits the larger one, which is... view image |
![]() ssc2020-09a 04.09.20 Windy Brown DwarfFor the first time, scientists have directly measured wind speed on a brown dwarf, pictured here in an illustration. ... view image |
![]() ssc2020-06c 01.27.20 Tarantula Nebula Spitzer 3-Color Image (Annotated)This image shows the location of Supernova 1987A and the starburst region R136 where massive stars form at a signific... view image |
![]() ssc2020-06a 01.27.20 Tarantula Nebula Spitzer 2-Color ImageThis image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Tarantula Nebula in two wavelengths of infrared light, each ... view image |
![]() ssc2020-06b 01.27.20 Tarantula Nebula Spitzer 3-Color ImageThis image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Tarantula Nebula in three wavelengths of infrared light, eac... view image |
![]() ssc2019-17b 10.30.19 The Jack-o-Lantern NebulaThis carved-out cloud of gas and dust has been nicknamed the "Jack-o'-lantern Nebula" because it looks like a cosmic ... view image |
![]() ssc2019-17a 10.30.19 The Jack-o-Lantern NebulaThis carved-out cloud of gas and dust has been nicknamed the "Jack-o'-lantern Nebula" because it looks like a cosmic ... view image |
![]() ssc2019-08a 05.31.19 Cepheus C and Cepheus B (IRAC-MIPS)This image was compiled using data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope using the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and the... view image |
![]() ssc2019-08d 05.31.19 Cepheus C and Cepheus B (IRAC Annotated)This image shows data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, from the IRAC instrument, with colors corresponding to wav... view image |
![]() ssc2019-08c 05.31.19 Cepheus C and Cepheus B (IRAC)This image shows data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, from the IRAC instrument, with colors corresponding to wav... view image |
![]() ssc2019-08b 05.31.19 Cepheus C and Cepheus B (IRAC-MIPS Annotated)This image was compiled using data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope using the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and the... view image |
![]() ssc2019-05c 04.25.19 Spitzer Captures Messier 87The galaxy M87 looks like a hazy, blue space-puff in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. At the galaxy's ... view image |
![]() ssc2019-05b 04.25.19 Spitzer Captures Messier 87 (Jets)The galaxy M87, imaged here by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, is home to a supermassive black hole that spews two je... view image |
![]() ssc2019-05a 04.25.19 Spitzer Captures Messier 87 (EHT)This wide-field image of the galaxy M87 was taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The top inset shows a close-up o... view image |
![]() ssc2018-04d 02.05.18 TRAPPIST-1 Compared to Jovian Moons and Inner Solar System - Feb. 2018All seven planets discovered in orbit around the red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 could easily fit inside the orbit of Mercu... view image |
![]() ssc2018-04a 02.05.18 Illustration of TRAPPIST-1 Planets as of Feb. 2018This illustration shows the seven Earth-size planets of TRAPPIST-1. The image does not show the planets' orbits to sc... view image |
![]() ssc2018-04b2 02.05.18 TRAPPIST-1 Planet Lineup - Feb. 2018 (unannotated)This artist's concept shows what the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system may look like, based on available data about the pla... view image |
![]() ssc2018-04b1 02.05.18 TRAPPIST-1 Planet Lineup - Feb. 2018This artist's concept shows what the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system may look like, based on available data about the pla... view image |
![]() ssc2018-04e 02.05.18 Comparing TRAPPIST-1 to the Solar SystemThis graph presents known properties of the seven TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets (labeled b thorugh h), showing how they stack... view image |
![]() ssc2017-16a 11.01.17 Polluted White DwarfThis artist's concept shows an exoplanet and debris disk orbiting a polluted white dwarf. view image |
![]() ssc2017-11a 10.04.17 Dusty Ring Around Boyajians StarThis illustration depicts a hypothetical uneven ring of dust orbitingKIC 8462852, also known as Boyajians Star or Tab... view image |
![]() ssc2017-05a 05.10.17 Crab Nebula from Five ObservatoriesIn the summer of the year 1054 AD, Chinese astronomers saw a new "guest star," that appeared six times brighter than ... view image |
![]() ssc2017-05a1 05.10.17 Crab Nebula from Five ObservatoriesIn the summer of the year 1054 AD, Chinese astronomers saw a new "guest star," that appeared six times brighter than ... view image |
![]() ssc2017-01a 02.22.17 TRAPPIST-1 Planet LineupThis artist's conception shows what the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system may look like, based on available data about thei... view image |
![]() ssc2017-01e 02.22.17 500 Hours of Spitzer Observations of TRAPPIST-1This data plot shows infrared observations by NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope of a system of seven planets orbiting TRA... view image |
![]() sig16-20 11.10.16 Brown Dwarf Microlensing IllustrationThis illustration depicts a newly discovered brown dwarf, an object that weighs in somewhere between our solar system... view image |
![]() sig16-20a 11.10.16 Brown Dwarf SystemThis illustration depicts a newly discovered brown dwarf, an object that weighs in somewhere between our solar system... view image |
![]() sig16-19 11.10.16 Brown Dwarf Microlensing DiagramTwo space-based telescopes teamed up with ground-based observatories to observe a microlensing event caused by a brow... view image |
![]() sig16-011 06.14.16 Dimming of FU Orionis (Artist's Concept)The brightness of outbursting star FU Orionis has been slowly fading since its initial flare-up in 1936. Researchers ... view image |
![]() sig16-011b 06.14.16 Dimming of FU Orionis (Fainter Phase Artist's Concept)The brightness of outbursting star FU Orionis has been slowly fading since its initial flare-up in 1936. Researchers ... view image |
![]() sig16-011a 06.14.16 Dimming of FU Orionis (Brighter Phase Artist's Concept)The brightness of outbursting star FU Orionis has been slowly fading since its initial flare-up in 1936. Researchers ... view image |
![]() sig16-008 04.14.16 The Spider NebulaThe spider part of "The Spider and the Fly" nebulae, IC 417 abounds in star formation, as seen in this infrared image... view image |
![]() sig15-009 06.25.15 Hypothetical 'Rejuvenated' PlanetsThis artist's concept shows a hypothetical "rejuvenated" planet -- a gas giant that has reclaimed its youthful infrar... view image |
![]() ssc2014-06b 08.28.14 Witnessing a Planetary WreckageAstronomers were surprised to see these data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope in January 2013, showing a huge erup... view image |
![]() ssc2014-06a 08.28.14 Building Planets Through CollisionsPlanets, including those like our own Earth, form from epic collisions between asteroids and even bigger bodies, call... view image |
![]() sig14-013 06.04.14 Dissecting Dust from Detonation of Dead StarThis infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows N103B -- all that remains from a supernova that explode... view image |
![]() sig14-012 05.28.14 Warm Spitzer Sees 'Serpent' Star-Forming Cloud Spawning StarsWithin the swaddling dust of the Serpens Cloud Core, astronomers are studying one of the youngest collections of star... view image |
![]() sig14-011 05.28.14 The 'Serpent' Star-Forming Cloud Spawns StarsWithin the swaddling dust of the Serpens Cloud Core, astronomers are studying one of the youngest collections of star... view image |
![]() ssc2014-03c 04.25.14 Welcome to the Sun's NeighborhoodThis diagram illustrates the locations of the star systems closest to the sun. The year when the distance to each sys... view image |
![]() ssc2014-03b 04.25.14 Cold and Close Celestial OrbThis artist's conception shows the object named WISE J085510.83-071442.5, the coldest known brown dwarf. view image |
![]() ssc2014-03a 04.25.14 Cold and Quick: a Fast-Moving Brown DwarfThis 4-panel image shows the coldest brown dwarf yet seen, and the fourth closest system to our sun. Called WISE J085... view image |
![]() sig14-005 03.06.14 Loops of Gas and Dust Rise from Planetary DisksMagnetic loops carry gas and dust above disks of planet-forming material circling stars, as shown in this artist's co... view image |
![]() sig14-004 02.26.14 Seeing Through a Veil of DustThe closest supernova of its kind to be observed in the last few decades has sparked a global observing campaign invo... view image |
![]() sig14-004b 02.26.14 M82 Galaxy with SupernovaThe supernova SN 2014J is seen in this image near its peak brightness in the first week of February 2014. It appears ... view image |
![]() sig14-003 02.20.14 The Shocking Behavior of a Speedy StarThe antics of a speeding star are on display in a new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. view image |
![]() sig14-001 01.07.14 This Just In: Storms Expected on Brown DwarfsThis artist's concept shows what the weather might look like on cool star-like bodies known as brown dwarfs. view image |
![]() sig13-016 11.11.13 Bubbly Newborn StarCombined observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and the newly completed Atacama Large Millimeter/submillime... view image |
![]() sig13-008 09.05.13 Free-floating Failed StarThis artist's conception portrays a free-floating brown dwarf, or failed star. view image |
![]() sig13-009 09.05.13 Brown Dwarf BackyardigansThe locations of brown dwarfs discovered by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, and mapped by NASA's... view image |
![]() ssc2013-07b 08.22.13 The Tortured Clouds of Eta CarinaeMassive stars can wreak havoc on their surroundings, as can be seen in this new view of the Carina nebula from NASAs ... view image |
![]() sig13-006 07.31.13 Dusty Hula Hoop Rings 'Blinking' Stellar DuoIn this artist's impression, a disk of dusty material leftover from star formation girds two young stars like a hula ... view image |
![]() ssc2013-05b 06.05.13 Stars Shoot Jets in Cosmic PlaygroundDozens of newborn stars sprouting jets from their dusty cocoons have been spotted in images from NASA's Spitzer Space... view image |
![]() sig13-005 05.24.13 Infrared IrisThis cloud of glowing gas is the Iris nebula, as seen in infrared light by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The main c... view image |
![]() sig13-002 04.03.13 Taken Under the "Wing" of the Small Magellanic CloudYoung stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), one of the closest galaxies to our Milky Way. view image |
![]() ssc2013-04c 02.08.13 Strobe-like Flashes Discovered in a Suspected Binary ProtostarFlashes of light pulsing through the nebula surrounding the protostellar object LRLL 54361 are captured in this time-... view image |
![]() ssc2013-02a 01.08.13 Rocky Ring of Debris Around VegaThis artist's concept illustrates an asteroid belt around the bright star Vega. view image |
![]() ssc2013-01c 01.08.13 Forecast for Exotic WeatherThis artist's conception illustrates the brown dwarf named 2MASSJ22282889-431026. view image |
![]() sig12-014 12.18.12 Massive Star Makes WavesThe giant star Zeta Ophiuchi is having a "shocking" effect on the surrounding dust clouds in this infrared image from... view image |
![]() ssc2012-14a 10.24.12 Unmasking a Hidden GlowResearchers were able to detect this background glow, which spreads across the whole sky, by masking out light from g... view image |
![]() ssc2012-13a 10.03.12 Cepheids as Cosmology ToolsThis graph illustrates the Cepheid period-luminosity relationship, which scientists use to calculate the size, age an... view image |
![]() sig12-009 08.31.12 A Surprisingly Bright SuperbubbleThis composite image shows a superbubble in the Large Magellanic Cloud. view image |
![]() sig12-004 04.17.12 A New View of the Tarantula NebulaA massive star-forming region located about 160,000 light years away. view image |
![]() ssc2012-04a 02.29.12 Orion's Rainbow of Infrared LightThis new view of the Orion nebula highlights fledgling stars hidden in the gas and clouds. It shows infrared observat... view image |
![]() ssc2012-02a 01.10.12 Stars Brewing in Cygnus XA bubbling cauldron of star birth is highlighted in this new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. view image |
![]() ssc2012-02b 01.10.12 Goings On Around Star-forming TownsIn this new action-packed view of the Cygnus X star-forming region from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, stars can be ... view image |
![]() sig11-015 11.11.11 30 Doradus and The Growing Tarantula WithinAbout 2,400 massive stars in the center of 30 Doradus are producing intense radiation and powerful winds as they blow... view image |
![]() ssc2011-08a 10.19.11 It's Raining CometsThis artist's conception illustrates a storm of comets around a star near our own, called Eta Corvi. view image |
![]() ssc2011-07a 06.30.11 Galaxies Near and FarThis split view shows how a normal spiral galaxy around our local universe (left) might have looked back in the dista... view image |
![]() sig11-008 06.29.11 Making a Spectacle of Star Formation in OrionThe cosmos sport a pair of infrared shades, as seen in this new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. view image |
![]() ssc2011-06c 05.26.11 Cosmic Fountain of Crystal RainThis graphic illustrates a stellar fountain of crystal rain, beginning with a Spitzer picture of the star in question... view image |
![]() ssc2011-06b 05.26.11 Finding Forsterite Around a Developing StarUsing NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have, for the first time, found signatures of silicate crystals aro... view image |
![]() ssc2011-06a 05.26.11 Stars Adorn Orion's SwordThis image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows what lies near the sword of the constellation Orion -- an active... view image |
![]() sig11-006 05.24.11 New View of the Great Nebula in CarinaCompared to our own Sun, it is about 100 times as massive and a million times as bright. This famed variable hypergia... view image |
![]() ssc2011-04a 04.04.11 Undercover Jet ExposedThis image layout shows two views of the same baby star -- at left is a visible-light image, and at right is an infra... view image |
![]() sig11-003 03.18.11 Stars Gather in 'Downtown' Milky WayA view from the bustling center of our galactic metropolis. Spitzer Space Telescope offers us a fresh, infrared view ... view image |
![]() ssc2011-03c 02.10.11 Babies in the North America NebulaStars at all stages of development, from dusty little tots to young adults, are on display in a new image from NASA's... view image |
![]() ssc2011-03a 02.10.11 Changing Face of the North America NebulaThis image layout reveals how the appearance of the North America nebula can change dramatically using different comb... view image |
![]() ssc2011-03b 02.10.11 North America Nebula DisappearsThis image layout compares visible (left) and infrared views of the North America nebula, taken by the Digitized Sky ... view image |
![]() ssc2011-01a 01.12.11 Standard Candle in the WindThis image layout illustrates how NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was able to show that astandard candle" used to meas... view image |
![]() sig10-022 10.27.10 Buckyballs in SpaceNASAs Spitzer Space Telescope has detected buckyballs - intriguing, miniature-soccer-ball-shaped molecules - in inter... view image |
![]() ssc2010-09a 10.27.10 Extragalactic Space BallsFor the first time, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected little spheres of carbon, called buckyballs, in a gal... view image |
![]() ssc2010-07c 08.23.10 Before the SmashupThis artist's concept illustrates an imminent planetary collision around a pair of double stars. NASA's Spitzer Space... view image |
![]() ssc2010-07a 08.23.10 Spectral Signatures of Planetary DoomThis plot of data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope tells astronomers that a dusty planetary smashup probably occur... view image |
![]() ssc2010-07b 08.23.10 Circle of Planetary AshesThis artist's concept illustrates a tight pair of stars and a surrounding disk of dust -- most likely the shattered r... view image |
![]() sig10-013 07.28.10 Bright Lights, Green CityTwo extremely bright stars illuminate a greenish mist in this and other images from the new GLIMPSE360 survey. view image |
![]() sig10-014 07.28.10 A Shocking OutflowThis image shows an outflow of gas from a new star as it jets from a space object dubbed IRAS 21078+5211, among other... view image |
![]() ssc2010-06b 07.22.10 Space BallsNASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has at last found buckyballs in space, as illustrated by this artist's conception show... view image |
![]() sig10-011 07.14.10 A Massive Star and Its CradleThis star-forming region is dominated by the bright, young star IRAS 13481-6124 (upper left), which is about twenty t... view image |
![]() sig10-012 07.14.10 A Disk Around a Massive Baby StarAstronomers have obtained the first clear look at a dusty disk closely encircling a massive baby star, thought to lo... view image |
![]() sig10-010 07.07.10 The Invisible DragonA dragon-shaped cloud of dust seems to fly out from a bright explosion in this infrared light image (top) from the Sp... view image |
![]() sig10-009 07.07.10 Dragon's LairA dragon-shaped cloud of dust seems to fly out from a bright explosion in this infrared light image from the Spitzer ... view image |
![]() sig10-007 06.24.10 Brown Dwarf as Cool as a Stellar CucumberThis image shows what astronomers think is one of the coldest brown dwarfs discovered so far (red dot in middle of fr... view image |
![]() sig10-008 06.24.10 Coolest Orbs on the BlockThis artist's conception shows simulated data predicting the hundreds of failed stars, or brown dwarfs, that NASA's W... view image |
![]() sig10-006 05.20.10 Blobs House Twin StarsNew evidence from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is showing that tight-knit twin stars might be triggered to form by ... view image |
![]() ssc2010-03b 03.17.10 Prehistoric Black HoleThis artist's conception illustrates one of the most primitive supermassive black holes known (central black dot) at ... view image |
![]() ssc2010-03a 03.17.10 How to Spot a Primitive Black HoleThese two data plots from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope show a primitive supermassive black hole (top) compared to a... view image |
![]() ssc2010-01a 01.05.10 Epsilon Aurigae Puzzle Pieces Snap Into PlaceThis graph of data from multiple telescopes shows the distribution of light from a pair of stars known as Epsilon Aur... view image |
![]() ssc2010-01b 01.05.10 Mystery of the Fading StarAstronomers have found a likely solution to a centuries-old riddle of the night sky. Every 27 years, a bright star ca... view image |
![]() sig09-010 12.23.09 A Quarter Century of Infrared AstronomyInternational Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA) Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology view image |