Goddard's Astrophysics Gallery

Gliese 12 b’s estimated size may be as large as Earth or slightly smaller — comparable to Venus in our solar system. This artist’s concept compares Earth with different possible Gliese 12 b interpretations, from no atmosphere to a thick Venus-like one. Follow-up observations with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will help determine just how much atmosphere the planet retains as well as its composition.Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC)Alt text: Illustration of Earth compared to various models of Gliese 12 b Image description: At left, against a black background, floats an artist's concept of a nearly half-illuminated Earth, with clouds, blue oceans, and land areas rendered in green, tan, brown, and white. At right are three similarly illuminated planets, slightly smaller than Earth and each representing a possible interpretation of Gliese 12 b. The version on the left has a surface of blotchy reddish and brownish features and no atmosphere. The middle version has the same surface texture partly obscured by a hazy atmosphere. And the rightmost and smallest version of the planet has a thick, Venus-like atmosphere that obscures the surface completely. || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac.jpg (3840x2160) [935.8 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_print.jpg (1024x576) [126.0 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison.jpg (3840x2160) [929.5 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_searchweb.png (320x180) [54.4 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_web.png (320x180) [54.4 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_thm.png (80x40) [9.8 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison.tif (3840x2160) [6.4 MB] ||

The Resolve instrument aboard XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) captured data from the center of galaxy NGC 4151, where a supermassive black hole is slowly consuming material from the surrounding accretion disk. The resulting spectrum reveals the presence of iron in the peak around 6.5 keV and the dips around 7 keV, light thousands of times more energetic that what our eyes can see. Background: An image of NGC 4151 constructed from a combination of X-ray, optical, and radio light. Credit: Spectrum: JAXA/NASA/XRISM Resolve. Background: X-rays, NASA/CXC/CfA/J.Wang et al.; optical, Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, La Palma/Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope; radio, NSF/NRAO/VLAAlt text: A XRISM spectrum of NGC 4151 with a multiwavelength snapshot of the galaxy in the background. Descriptive text: The spectrum image is labeled, “XRISM Resolve Spectrum of NGC 4151.” It shows a graph where the bottom is labeled, “X-ray energy (keV),” with a range from 5 to 9. The left side is labeled, “X-ray brightness.” A squiggly white line starts just under halfway up the left side. It peaks at just under 6.5 keV, nearly reaching the top of the graph. Then it starts to slope gently downward, with several sharp dips around 7 keV. In the background is a dim image of galaxy NGC 4151, where the center is a whiteish blue, surrounding by clouds of red and yellow. || Spectrum_v4.jpg (2300x2050) [426.6 KB] ||

In this all-sky view, the camera approaches a supermassive black hole weighing 4.3 million Suns. It is about 70 million miles (113 million kilometers) from the black hole’s event horizon, the boundary of no return. It’s moving inward at 19% the speed of light — nearly 127 million mph (205 million kph). A flat, swirling cloud of hot, glowing gas called an accretion disk surrounds the black hole and serves as a visual reference during the fall, as do glowing structures called photon rings, which form closer to the black hole from light that has orbited it one or more times. A backdrop of the starry sky completes the scene.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/J. Schnittman and B. Powell || 1_BH_Viz_20_rg_019c.jpg (8192x4096) [6.1 MB] ||

This artist’s concept shows the entire sky in gamma rays with magenta circles illustrating the uncertainty in the direction from which more high-energy gamma rays than average seem to be arriving. In this view, the plane of our galaxy runs across the middle of the map. The circles enclose regions with a 68% (inner) and a 95% chance of containing the origin of these gamma rays. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center || Dark_Fermi_Dipole.jpg (3840x2160) [506.2 KB] || Dark_Fermi_Dipole.png (3840x2160) [8.9 MB] || Dark_Fermi_Dipole_searchweb.png (320x180) [57.6 KB] || Dark_Fermi_Dipole_thm.png (80x40) [5.4 KB] ||

The Resolve instrument aboard XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) captured data from the center of galaxy NGC 4151, where a supermassive black hole is slowly consuming material from the surrounding accretion disk. The resulting spectrum reveals the presence of iron in the peak around 6.5 keV and the dips around 7 keV, light thousands of times more energetic that what our eyes can see. Background: An image of NGC 4151 constructed from a combination of X-ray, optical, and radio light. Credit: Spectrum: JAXA/NASA/XRISM Resolve. Background: X-rays, NASA/CXC/CfA/J.Wang et al.; optical, Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, La Palma/Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope; radio, NSF/NRAO/VLAAlt text: A XRISM spectrum of NGC 4151 with a multiwavelength snapshot of the galaxy in the background. Descriptive text: The spectrum image is labeled, “XRISM Resolve Spectrum of NGC 4151.” It shows a graph where the bottom is labeled, “X-ray energy (keV),” with a range from 5 to 9. The left side is labeled, “X-ray brightness.” A squiggly white line starts just under halfway up the left side. It peaks at just under 6.5 keV, nearly reaching the top of the graph. Then it starts to slope gently downward, with several sharp dips around 7 keV. In the background is a dim image of galaxy NGC 4151, where the center is a whiteish blue, surrounding by clouds of red and yellow. || Spectrum_v4.jpg (2300x2050) [426.6 KB] ||

Observatories with smaller views of space have provided exquisite images of other galaxies, revealing complex structures. But studying our own galaxy’s anatomy is surprisingly difficult. The plane of the Milky Way covers such a large area on the sky that studying it in detail can take a very long time. Astronomers also must peer through thick dust that obscures distant starlight. Infrared light can pass through that dust and is a key tool for learning about the far side of our galaxy.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: "Time Shift Equalibrium" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || GalacticPlaneIR_Split_Still.jpg (1920x1080) [430.6 KB] || GalacticPlaneIR_Split_Still_searchweb.png (320x180) [103.4 KB] || GalacticPlaneIR_Split_Still_thm.png (80x40) [7.6 KB] || 14521_Galactic_Plane_Infrared_good.mp4 (1920x1080) [51.0 MB] || 14521_GalacticPlaneIR_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [1.0 KB] || 14521_GalacticPlaneIR_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [1.0 KB] || 14521_Galactic_Plane_Infrared_ProRes_1920x1080_30.mov (1920x1080) [923.1 MB] || 14521_Galactic_Plane_Infrared_Best.mp4 (1920x1080) [106.4 MB] ||

This artist’s concept shows the entire sky in gamma rays with magenta circles illustrating the uncertainty in the direction from which more high-energy gamma rays than average seem to be arriving. In this view, the plane of our galaxy runs across the middle of the map. The circles enclose regions with a 68% (inner) and a 95% chance of containing the origin of these gamma rays. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center || Dark_Fermi_Dipole.jpg (3840x2160) [506.2 KB] || Dark_Fermi_Dipole.png (3840x2160) [8.9 MB] || Dark_Fermi_Dipole_searchweb.png (320x180) [57.6 KB] || Dark_Fermi_Dipole_thm.png (80x40) [5.4 KB] ||

Some 5 million years ago, a black hole eruption in the galaxy NGC 4945 set off a star-formation frenzy and shot a vast cloud of gas into intergalactic space. Watch and learn how two X-ray telescopes revealed the story.Music Credits: Universal Production Music"Planetary Horizons" by Jia Lee"Eyes Peeled" by Bard"Sprinkle of Mischief" by Ash and HaroldWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Gliese 12 b’s estimated size may be as large as Earth or slightly smaller — comparable to Venus in our solar system. This artist’s concept compares Earth with different possible Gliese 12 b interpretations, from no atmosphere to a thick Venus-like one. Follow-up observations with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will help determine just how much atmosphere the planet retains as well as its composition.Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC)Alt text: Illustration of Earth compared to various models of Gliese 12 b Image description: At left, against a black background, floats an artist's concept of a nearly half-illuminated Earth, with clouds, blue oceans, and land areas rendered in green, tan, brown, and white. At right are three similarly illuminated planets, slightly smaller than Earth and each representing a possible interpretation of Gliese 12 b. The version on the left has a surface of blotchy reddish and brownish features and no atmosphere. The middle version has the same surface texture partly obscured by a hazy atmosphere. And the rightmost and smallest version of the planet has a thick, Venus-like atmosphere that obscures the surface completely. || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac.jpg (3840x2160) [935.8 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_print.jpg (1024x576) [126.0 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison.jpg (3840x2160) [929.5 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_searchweb.png (320x180) [54.4 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_web.png (320x180) [54.4 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_thm.png (80x40) [9.8 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison.tif (3840x2160) [6.4 MB] ||

Even when it doesn’t detect gamma rays, NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope helps astronomers learn more about the universe.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: "Trial" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || Fermi_Missing_GR_Still.jpg (1920x1080) [757.8 KB] || Fermi_Missing_GR_Still_searchweb.png (320x180) [86.6 KB] || Fermi_Missing_GR_Still_thm.png (80x40) [6.5 KB] || 14522_Fermi_Missing_GammaRays_Captions.en_US.srt [3.4 KB] || 14522_Fermi_Missing_GammaRays_Captions.en_US.vtt [3.2 KB] || 14522_Fermi_Missing_GammaRays_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [2.0 GB] || 14522_Fermi_Missing_GammaRays_Good.mp4 (1920x1080) [110.3 MB] || 14522_Fermi_Missing_GammaRays_Best.mp4 (1920x1080) [382.1 MB] ||

Animations of images originally published at https://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2024/casa/ and https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasa-telescopes-chase-down-green-monster-in-stars-debris/.Astronomers have combined data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope to study supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A). This work has helped explain an unusual structure called the “Green Monster”. Composite images from Chandra, Webb, Hubble, NuSTAR, and Spitzer reveal where elements such as silicon, iron, and titanium are located. Comparing where certain elements are with the location of the blast wave, researchers conclude that the Green Monster was created by a blast wave from the exploded star slamming into material surrounding it. ||

XRISM’s Resolve instrument captured data from supernova remnant N132D in the Large Magellanic Cloud to create the most detailed X-ray spectrum of the object ever made. The spectrum reveals peaks associated with silicon, sulfur, argon, calcium, and iron. Inset at right is an image of N132D captured by XRISM’s Xtend instrument.Credit: JAXA/NASA/XRISM Resolve and Xtend || Resolve_N132D_Spectrum.jpg (3840x2395) [1.0 MB] || Resolve_N132D_Spectrum_searchweb.png (320x180) [45.7 KB] || Resolve_N132D_Spectrum_thm.png (80x40) [4.7 KB] ||

The Resolve instrument aboard XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) captured data from the center of galaxy NGC 4151, where a supermassive black hole is slowly consuming material from the surrounding accretion disk. The resulting spectrum reveals the presence of iron in the peak around 6.5 keV and the dips around 7 keV, light thousands of times more energetic that what our eyes can see. Background: An image of NGC 4151 constructed from a combination of X-ray, optical, and radio light. Credit: Spectrum: JAXA/NASA/XRISM Resolve. Background: X-rays, NASA/CXC/CfA/J.Wang et al.; optical, Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, La Palma/Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope; radio, NSF/NRAO/VLAAlt text: A XRISM spectrum of NGC 4151 with a multiwavelength snapshot of the galaxy in the background. Descriptive text: The spectrum image is labeled, “XRISM Resolve Spectrum of NGC 4151.” It shows a graph where the bottom is labeled, “X-ray energy (keV),” with a range from 5 to 9. The left side is labeled, “X-ray brightness.” A squiggly white line starts just under halfway up the left side. It peaks at just under 6.5 keV, nearly reaching the top of the graph. Then it starts to slope gently downward, with several sharp dips around 7 keV. In the background is a dim image of galaxy NGC 4151, where the center is a whiteish blue, surrounding by clouds of red and yellow. || Spectrum_v4.jpg (2300x2050) [426.6 KB] ||

This artist's concept takes a fanciful approach to imagining small primordial black holes. In reality, such tiny black holes would have a difficult time forming the accretion disks that make them visible here.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center || Primordial_Black_Hole_Still_1080.jpg (1920x1080) [275.1 KB] || Primordial_Black_Hole_Still_4k_print.jpg (1024x576) [51.1 KB] || Primordial_Black_Hole_Still_4k.jpg (3840x2160) [2.5 MB] || Primordial_Black_Hole_Still_4k.png (3840x2160) [7.3 MB] || Primordial_Black_Hole_Still_4k_searchweb.png (320x180) [61.5 KB] || Primordial_Black_Hole_Still_4k_thm.png (80x40) [5.6 KB] ||

In this flight toward a supermassive black hole, labels highlight many of the fascinating features produced by the effects of general relativity along the way. This supercomputer visualization tracks a camera as it approaches, briefly orbits, and then crosses the event horizon — the point of no return — of a supersized black hole similar in mass to the one at the center of our galaxy. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/J. Schnittman and B. PowellMusic: “Tidal Force,” Thomas Daniel Bellingham [PRS], Universal Production Music“Memories” from Digital Juice“Path Finder,” Eric Jacobsen [TONO] and Lorenzo Castellarin [BMI], Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || 14576_BHPlunge_Explain_Still.jpg (3840x2160) [1.2 MB] || 14576_PageThumbnail.jpg (3840x2160) [1.2 MB] || 14576_PageThumbnail_searchweb.png (180x320) [85.0 KB] || 14576_PageThumbnail_thm.png (80x40) [9.6 KB] || 14576_BHPlunge_Explainer_Captions.en_US.srt [2.5 KB] || 14576_BHPlunge_Explainer_Captions.en_US.vtt [2.4 KB] || 14576_BHPlunge_Explainer_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [319.5 MB] || 14576_BHPlunge_Explainer_4k.mp4 (3840x2160) [1.5 GB] || 14576_BHPlunge_Explainer_4kYouTube.mp4 (3840x2160) [3.0 GB] || 14576_BHPlunge_Explainer_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.mov (3840x2160) [12.8 GB] ||

In this movie-style poster, the viewer gets the feeling of being on a precipice, teetering just on the edge of a black hole’s event horizon. The event horizon isn’t a solid surface like Earth’s or even the Sun’s. It's the boundary where the black hole's escape velocity equals the speed of light, the speed limit of the universe. Once matter crosses the event horizon, it will never escape the black hole. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image LabVisual description: This minimalist movie-style poster is dominated by a red-orange background dotted with stars. The title, “On the Brink,” is in the upper-left corner. The subtitle at the lower left reads “Meet Me at the Event Horizon.” The NASA insignia is in the upper right corner. At the center, a large black circle represents a black hole. Surrounding it are white lines, which are a stylized depiction of the black hole’s accretion disk as it appears to a distant viewer. Foreground lines arc in front of the black hole, as we would expect. However, the lines for the far side of the disk are visible above and below the black hole, instead of being blocked by it. This is due to the black hole’s gravity, which warps space-time and redirects the light on its path to us. A pocket watch in the lower right appears to be melting toward the black hole, evoking a feeling of spaghettification, an effect that happens to objects that get too close to a black hole. || BlackHoleWeek2024_poster_clean_RGB.jpg (9000x13500) [11.2 MB] || BlackHoleWeek2024_poster_clean_RGB.png (9000x13500) [52.7 MB] || BlackHoleWeek2024_poster_clean_RGB_Halfsize.jpg (4500x6750) [4.2 MB] || BlackHoleWeek2024_poster_clean_RGB_Quartersize.jpg (2250x3375) [1.5 MB] || BlackHoleWeek2024_poster_clean_CMYK.tif (9000x13500) [464.0 MB] ||

The Resolve instrument aboard XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) captured data from the center of galaxy NGC 4151, where a supermassive black hole is slowly consuming material from the surrounding accretion disk. The resulting spectrum reveals the presence of iron in the peak around 6.5 keV and the dips around 7 keV, light thousands of times more energetic that what our eyes can see. Background: An image of NGC 4151 constructed from a combination of X-ray, optical, and radio light. Credit: Spectrum: JAXA/NASA/XRISM Resolve. Background: X-rays, NASA/CXC/CfA/J.Wang et al.; optical, Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, La Palma/Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope; radio, NSF/NRAO/VLAAlt text: A XRISM spectrum of NGC 4151 with a multiwavelength snapshot of the galaxy in the background. Descriptive text: The spectrum image is labeled, “XRISM Resolve Spectrum of NGC 4151.” It shows a graph where the bottom is labeled, “X-ray energy (keV),” with a range from 5 to 9. The left side is labeled, “X-ray brightness.” A squiggly white line starts just under halfway up the left side. It peaks at just under 6.5 keV, nearly reaching the top of the graph. Then it starts to slope gently downward, with several sharp dips around 7 keV. In the background is a dim image of galaxy NGC 4151, where the center is a whiteish blue, surrounding by clouds of red and yellow. || Spectrum_v4.jpg (2300x2050) [426.6 KB] ||

Watch to learn more about how the Resolve instrument aboard XRISM captures extraordinary data on the make-up of galaxy clusters, exploded stars, and more using only 36 pixels.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: "Stop and Hide" and "Wading Through" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || XRISM_36_Pixels_Still.jpg (1920x1080) [959.9 KB] || XRISM_36_Pixels_Still_searchweb.png (320x180) [94.7 KB] || XRISM_36_Pixels_Still_thm.png (80x40) [7.0 KB] || 14463_XRISM_36Pixels_Good.mp4 (1920x1080) [148.9 MB] || 14463_XRISM_36Pixels_Best.mp4 (1920x1080) [514.8 MB] || 14463_XRISM_36Pixels_Captions.en_US.srt [4.6 KB] || 14463_XRISM_36Pixels_Captions.en_US.vtt [4.4 KB] || 14463_XRISM_36Pixels_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [2.4 GB] ||

Animations of images originally published at https://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2024/casa/ and https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasa-telescopes-chase-down-green-monster-in-stars-debris/.Astronomers have combined data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope to study supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A). This work has helped explain an unusual structure called the “Green Monster”. Composite images from Chandra, Webb, Hubble, NuSTAR, and Spitzer reveal where elements such as silicon, iron, and titanium are located. Comparing where certain elements are with the location of the blast wave, researchers conclude that the Green Monster was created by a blast wave from the exploded star slamming into material surrounding it. ||

XRISM’s Resolve instrument captured data from supernova remnant N132D in the Large Magellanic Cloud to create the most detailed X-ray spectrum of the object ever made. The spectrum reveals peaks associated with silicon, sulfur, argon, calcium, and iron. Inset at right is an image of N132D captured by XRISM’s Xtend instrument.Credit: JAXA/NASA/XRISM Resolve and Xtend || Resolve_N132D_Spectrum.jpg (3840x2395) [1.0 MB] || Resolve_N132D_Spectrum_searchweb.png (320x180) [45.7 KB] || Resolve_N132D_Spectrum_thm.png (80x40) [4.7 KB] ||

Explore the temperatures of the cosmos, from absolute zero to the hottest temperatures yet achieved, with this infographic. Targets for the XRISM mission include supernova remnants, binary systems with stellar-mass black holes, galaxies powered by supermassive black holes, and vast clusters of galaxies.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Scott WiessingerMachine-readable PDF copy || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_small.jpg (1383x2048) [1.3 MB] || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_Full.png (5530x8192) [60.5 MB] || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_Full.jpg (5530x8192) [10.3 MB] || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_8bit.png (5530x8192) [24.5 MB] || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_Half.png (2765x4096) [7.0 MB] || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_Half.jpg (2765x4096) [4.7 MB] ||

This periodic table depicts the primary source on Earth for each element. In cases where two sources contribute fairly equally, both appear. || PeriodicTableOrigins2_print.jpg (1024x682) [251.7 KB] || PeriodicTableOrigins2_Large.png (25042x16695) [52.0 MB] || PeriodicTableOrigins2.png (6000x4000) [3.4 MB] || PeriodicTableOrigins2.jpg (6000x4000) [2.2 MB] || PeriodicTableOrigins2_searchweb.png (320x180) [82.4 KB] || PeriodicTableOrigins2_thm.png (80x40) [7.6 KB] ||

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is a NASA scientific balloon mission that will fly to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere to study twisty patterns of light in the universe’s “baby picture.” This infographic highlights some facts about PIPER’s instruments, capabilities and goals.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterMachine-readable PDF copy || PIPER_Infographic_FINAL_Medium.jpg (1500x1941) [902.2 KB] || PIPER_Infographic_FINAL_Small.jpg (1000x1294) [469.6 KB] || PIPER_Infographic_FINAL.jpg (5100x6600) [6.6 MB] || PIPER_Infographic_FINAL.png (5100x6600) [15.3 MB] || PIPER_Infographic_FINAL_half.jpg (2550x3300) [1.7 MB] || PIPER_Infographic_FINAL_half.png (2550x3300) [6.9 MB] ||

Artist's interpretation of the Big Bang, with representations of the early universe and its expansion. || BigBang_final-v01_162_print.jpg (1024x576) [187.9 KB] || BigBang_final-v01_162.png (5760x3240) [28.0 MB] || BigBang_final-v01_162_searchweb.png (320x180) [96.3 KB] || BigBang_final-v01_162_web.png (320x180) [96.3 KB] || BigBang_final-v01_162_thm.png (80x40) [6.4 KB] || 12656_Big_Bang_1080.mov (1920x1080) [112.4 MB] || 12656_Big_Bang_1080.webm (1920x1080) [3.0 MB] || 12656_Big_Bang_ProRes_5760x3240_30.mov (5760x3240) [1.9 GB] || 5760x3240_16x9_30p (5760x3240) [64.0 KB] || 12656_Big_Bang_4K.mov (3840x2160) [84.8 MB] || 12656_Big_Bang_4k.m4v (3840x2160) [93.5 MB] ||

Gliese 12 b’s estimated size may be as large as Earth or slightly smaller — comparable to Venus in our solar system. This artist’s concept compares Earth with different possible Gliese 12 b interpretations, from no atmosphere to a thick Venus-like one. Follow-up observations with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will help determine just how much atmosphere the planet retains as well as its composition.Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC)Alt text: Illustration of Earth compared to various models of Gliese 12 b Image description: At left, against a black background, floats an artist's concept of a nearly half-illuminated Earth, with clouds, blue oceans, and land areas rendered in green, tan, brown, and white. At right are three similarly illuminated planets, slightly smaller than Earth and each representing a possible interpretation of Gliese 12 b. The version on the left has a surface of blotchy reddish and brownish features and no atmosphere. The middle version has the same surface texture partly obscured by a hazy atmosphere. And the rightmost and smallest version of the planet has a thick, Venus-like atmosphere that obscures the surface completely. || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac.jpg (3840x2160) [935.8 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_print.jpg (1024x576) [126.0 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison.jpg (3840x2160) [929.5 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_searchweb.png (320x180) [54.4 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_web.png (320x180) [54.4 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison_ac_thm.png (80x40) [9.8 KB] || Gl12b_Earth_Comparison.tif (3840x2160) [6.4 MB] ||

Artist's concept of one design for the proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory. Still image includes option with transparent background. || S8.jpg (3840x2160) [685.1 KB] || S8_alpha_00000.png (3840x2160) [1.5 MB] || S8.png (3840x2160) [4.9 MB] || S8_searchweb.png (320x180) [67.8 KB] || S8_thm.png (80x40) [4.4 KB] || AC1_BeautyPass_4K_V2.mp4 [68.5 MB] || AC1_BeautyPass_4K_V2.mov [1.0 GB] ||

This visualization has been adapted for hyperwall from the original release on hubblesite.org. An international team of astronomers assembled and reprocessed Hubble observations of exoplanet WASP-121 b, also known as Tylos, in the years 2016, 2018 and 2019. They found clear evidence that the observations of WASP-121 b were varying in time. The team then used sophisticated modelling techniques to demonstrate that these temporal variations could be explained by weather patterns in the exoplanet's atmosphere, specifically, massive cyclones that are repeatedly created and destroyed due to the huge temperature difference between the star-facing and dark side of the exoplanet. ||

For the Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey, Roman will aim its expansive view at the center of our galaxy and observe a two-square-degree region in infrared wavelengths that cut through the obscuring dust to reveal millions of stars. || Galactic_Bulge_Survey_Intro_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.00177_print.jpg (1024x576) [78.6 KB] || Galactic_Bulge_Survey_Intro_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.00177_searchweb.png (320x180) [59.3 KB] || Galactic_Bulge_Survey_Intro_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.00177_thm.png (80x40) [4.6 KB] || Galactic_Bulge_Survey_Intro_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [25.1 MB] || Galactic_Bulge_Survey_Intro_1080.webm (1920x1080) [2.3 MB] || Galactic_Bulge_Survey_Intro_4k.mp4 (3840x2160) [33.3 MB] || Galactic_Bulge_Survey_Intro_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.mov (3840x2160) [1.4 GB] ||

Explore the temperatures of the cosmos, from absolute zero to the hottest temperatures yet achieved, with this infographic. Targets for the XRISM mission include supernova remnants, binary systems with stellar-mass black holes, galaxies powered by supermassive black holes, and vast clusters of galaxies.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Scott WiessingerMachine-readable PDF copy || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_small.jpg (1383x2048) [1.3 MB] || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_Full.png (5530x8192) [60.5 MB] || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_Full.jpg (5530x8192) [10.3 MB] || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_8bit.png (5530x8192) [24.5 MB] || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_Half.png (2765x4096) [7.0 MB] || Cosmic_Temperatures_Infographic_Final_Half.jpg (2765x4096) [4.7 MB] ||

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken over 1.5 million observations over the past 32 years. One of them is the breathtaking Nebula known as the N44 Superbubble.N44 is a complex nebula filled with glowing hydrogen gas, dark lanes of dust, massive stars, and many populations of stars of different ages. One of its most distinctive features, however, is the dark, starry gap called a “superbubble,” visible in the upper central region. In this video, Dr. Ken Carpenter takes us on a journey through the Nebula, teaching us some of the interesting science behind this famous Hubble image.For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Video Credit:Hubble Space Telescope AnimationCredit: ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser; L. L. Christensen), A. Fujii, Robert Gendler, Digitized Sky SurveyPanther Observatory, Steve Cannistra, Michael Pierce, Robert Berrington (Indiana University), NigelSharp, Mark Hanna (NOAO)/WIYN/NSFMusic Credit:"Transcode" by Lee Groves [PRS], and Peter George Marett [PRS] via Universal Production Music“Cosmic Call” by Immersive Music via Shutterstock Music ||

The Cartwheel Galaxy, a rare ring galaxy once shrouded in dust and mystery, has been unveiled by the imaging capabilities of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The galaxy, which formed as a result of a collision between a large spiral galaxy and another smaller galaxy, not only retained a lot of its spiral character, but has also experienced massive changes throughout its structure. Webb’s high-precision instruments resolved individual stars and star-forming regions within the Cartwheel, and revealed the behavior of the black hole within its galactic center. These new details provide a renewed understanding of a galaxy in the midst of a slow transformation. || cartwheel_348_print.jpg (1024x576) [152.0 KB] || cartwheel_348.png (3840x2160) [9.1 MB] || webbs-science-mission-begins-first-light-images-cartwheel-galaxy.hwshow [314 bytes] ||

NGC 3372: Eta Carinae Nebula || eta-carina-cliffs_1.00001_print.jpg (1024x576) [111.2 KB] || eta-carina-cliffs_1.00001_searchweb.png (320x180) [56.4 KB] || eta-carina-cliffs_1.00001_thm.png (80x40) [4.5 KB] || eta-carina-cliffs_1.mp4 (1920x1080) [17.2 MB] || eta-carina-cliffs_1.webm (1920x1080) [2.2 MB] ||

This gallery gathers together visualizations and narrated videos about black holes. A black hole is a celestial object whose gravity is so intense that even light cannot escape it. Astronomers observe two main types of black holes. Stellar-mass black holes contain three to dozens of times the mass of our Sun. They form when the cores of very massive stars run out of fuel and collapse under their own weight, compressing large amounts of matter into a tiny space. Supermassive black holes, with masses up to billions of times the Sun’s, can be found at the centers of most big galaxies. Although a black hole does not emit light, matter falling toward it collects in a hot, glowing accretion disk that astronomers can detect.

An exoplanet is a planet orbiting a star other than the Sun. Of particular interest are planets that may orbit in their star’s habitable zone, the distance from a star where temperatures allow liquid water to persist on a planet’s surface, given a suitable atmosphere. Since water is necessary for life as we know it, its presence is required for worlds to be considered capable of supporting life. Exoplanets can also teach us more about planets in the universe, such as the diversity of planets in the galaxy, how they interact with their host stars and with each other, and how common solar systems like ours really are. Using a wide variety of methods, astronomers have discovered more than 3,700 exoplanets to date, largely thanks to NASA's Kepler/K2 mission. Other NASA missions also play a key role in detecting exoplanets. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, which launched in April 2018, will monitor 200,000 of the brightest dwarf stars for transiting exoplanets. Future missions like the James Webb Space Telescope will be able to study these discovered planets in greater detail, helping determine their composition. Researchers in NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Sellers Exoplanet Environments Collaboration are leveraging work across disciplines to better understand exoplanets. Areas like planet-star interactions, planetary formation, and even study of the Earth itself enable researchers to develop tools to learn more about how exoplanets evolve, and what ingredients are necessary to support life.

NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has completed its primary mission, and it will continue to explore the high-energy cosmos in unprecedented detail.
These pages gather together media products associated with Fermi news releases starting before its 2008 launch, when it was known as GLAST. Fermi detects gamma rays, the most powerful form of light, with energies thousands to billions of times greater than the visible spectrum. The mission has discovered pulsars, proved that supernova remnants can accelerate particles to near the speed of light, monitored eruptions of black holes in distant galaxies, and found giant bubbles linked to the central black hole in our own galaxy.
For more information about the Fermi mission, visit its NASA webpage.

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory provides astronomers with a unique tool for exploring many different classes of astronomical phenomena, from gamma-ray bursts and supernovae to spinning neutron stars, outbursts from black holes, and even exoplanets, comets and asteroids. These pages gather together media products associated with Swift news releases.For more information about the Swift mission, visit its NASA webpage.

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