History of the Universe

Interacting Galaxies Group Arp 194

To commemorate the Hubble Space Telescope's 19 years of historic, trailblazing science, the orbiting telescope has photographed a peculiar system of galaxies known as Arp 194. This interacting group contains several galaxies, along with a "cosmic fountain" of stars, gas, and...

Compass and Scale Image of Arp 194

Constellation Region Near Arp 194

Visible-Light and X-Ray Composite Image of Galaxy Cluster 1E 0657-556

This composite image shows the galaxy cluster 1E 0657-556, also known as the "bullet cluster." This cluster was formed after the collision of two large clusters of galaxies, the most energetic event known in the universe since the Big Bang. Hot gas detected by Chandra in X-rays...

Extended Groth Strip – Detail of Hubble Image

HST Image of Fomalhaut and Fomalhaut b

This image, taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, shows the newly discovered planet, Fomalhaut b, orbiting its parent star, Fomalhaut. The small white box at lower right pinpoints the planet's location. Fomalhaut b has carved a path...

A Gallery of 'Tadpole Galaxies'

These postage-stamp-size images reveal 36 young galaxies caught in the act of merging with other galaxies. These galaxies appear as they existed many billions of years ago. Astronomers have dubbed them "tadpole galaxies" because of their distinct knot-and-tail shapes, which...

The Host Galaxies of Gamma-ray Bursts

This is a sampling of the host galaxies of long-duration gamma-ray bursts taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Gamma-ray bursts are powerful flashes of high-energy radiation that arise from some supernovae, the explosive deaths of extremely massive stars. Long-duration bursts...

Artist's Concept of Nearest Exoplanet to Our Solar System

This is an artist's concept of a Jupiter-mass planet orbiting the nearby star Epsilon Eridani. Located 10.5 light-years away, it is the closest known exoplanet to our solar system. The planet is in an elliptical orbit that carries it as close to the star as Earth is from the...

A String of 'Cosmic Pearls' Surrounds an Exploding Star

Two decades ago, astronomers spotted one of the brightest exploding stars in more than 400 years. Since that first sighting, the doomed star, called Supernova 1987A, has continued to fascinate astronomers with its spectacular light show. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is one of...

Close Up of Ancient, White Dwarf Stars in the Milky Way Galaxy

Looking 'Underneath' Quasar HE0450-2958

This image shows the quasar HE0450-2958 after advanced image processing known as MCS-deconvolution. Thanks to this technique, it is possible to remove the brilliant glare from the quasar itself. The most interesting feature in the image is the nearly total absence of starlight...

Photo Illustration of Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 and Planet Jupiter

This is a composite photo, assembled from separate images of Jupiter and Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9, as imaged by the Wide Field & Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), aboard. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Jupiter was imaged on May 18, 1 994, when the giant planet was at a distance...

Pluto and Its Moons: Charon, Nix, and Hydra

A pair of small moons that NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered orbiting Pluto now have official names: Nix and Hydra. Photographed by Hubble in 2005, Nix and Hydra are roughly 5,000 times fainter than Pluto and are about two to three times farther from Pluto than its large...

Pan and Zoom into Arp 194 (Narrated)

To commemorate its 19 years of historic and trailblazing science, the Hubble Space Telescope has taken an image of the Arp 194 system of galaxies. This interacting galaxy group contains several galaxies, along with a "cosmic fountain" of stars, gas, and dust that stretches over...

Pan and Zoom into Arp 194

To commemorate its 19 years of historic and trailblazing science, the Hubble Space Telescope has taken an image of the Arp 194 system of galaxies. This interacting galaxy group contains several galaxies, along with a "cosmic fountain" of stars, gas, and dust that stretches over...