Zoom Out on the Whirlpool Galaxy

Out of This Whirl: the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and Companion Galaxy

The graceful, winding arms of the majestic spiral galaxy M51 (NGC 5194) appear like a grand spiral staircase sweeping through space. They are actually long lanes of stars and gas laced with dust. This sharpest-ever image of the Whirlpool Galaxy, taken in January 2005 with the...

The Eagle Has Risen: Stellar Spire in the Eagle Nebula

Appearing like a winged fairy-tale creature poised on a pedestal, this object is actually a billowing tower of cold gas and dust rising from a stellar nursery called the Eagle Nebula. The soaring tower is 9.5 light-years or about 57 trillion miles high, about twice the distance...

M51 Nucleus in the Light of Hydrogen

A detailed view of the very center of the spiral galaxy M51 in the light of hydrogen. We see darker dust silhoueted against the light from stars and glowing gas.

Young, Hot Stars in a Spiral Arm of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)

A detail of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) showing a small part of one spiral arm. It reveals brilliant, blue clusters of young, hot stars embedded in vast clouds of glowing gas and darker dust.

Eagle Nebula (M16) Pillar Detail: Portion of Top

A detail of the Eagle Nebula (M16) showing a portion of a pillar of gas and dust. Light from nearby bright, hot, young stars is sculpting the cloud into intricate forms and causing the gas to glow.

Whirlpool Galaxy's (M51) Companion Nucleus and Dust Lanes

A small detail of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) showing the central region of the companion galaxy (NGC 5195). Fine structures of dark dust clouds are seen silhouetted against the smaller galaxy's starlight.

Eagle Nebula (M16) Pillar Detail: Portion of Base

A detail of the Eagle Nebula (M16) showing a portion of a pillar of gas and dust. Denser clouds are silhouetted against glowing gas and material reflecting light from nearby stars.

Location of M16 on the Sky

The location of the Eagle Nebula (M16) is indicated on this wide view of the sky in the direction of the center of our Galaxy. It shows numerous dense star clouds, glowing gas and dark dust patches of the Milky Way.

Location of HST images in the Eagle Nebula

This wide-field image of the Eagle Nebula was taken at the National Science Foundation's 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak with the NOAO Mosaic CCD camera. It shows the areas seen in greater detail with Hubble's Wide-Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) in 1995 and Advanced Camera...

All-Sky Plot of All HST Observations as of Mar. 23, 2005

In its 15 years of viewing the sky, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken more than 700,000 exposures and probed more than 22,000 celestial targets as represented by the different colored dots in this map of the sky. All data from April 1990 through March 2005 are represented...

Hubble Spots Distant Supernovae in Search of Properties of Dark Energy

Cepheid Variable Star in Galaxy M100

HUDF – Close-up

Artist's Concept – "Hot Jupiter" Around the Star HD 209458

M87

Hubble Views Home Galaxy of Record-Breaking Explosion

A Survey of Quasar Host Galaxies

Star Factory at the Center of the Orion Nebula

Color Hubble Image of Multiple Comet Impacts on Jupiter

The Cat's Eye Nebula's Intricate Layers

A Planet's Telltale Signature

Close-up of "Proplyds" in Orion

Fading Supernova Is Producing a Spectacular New Light Show

Wide-Field Image of the Eagle Nebula

This wide-field image of the Eagle Nebula was taken at the National Science Foundation's 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak with the NOAO Mosaic CCD camera.

Hubble's 15th Anniversary Images of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and Eagle Nebula

During the 15 years NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has orbited the Earth, it has taken more than 700,000 photos of the cosmos; images that have awed, astounded and even confounded astronomers and the public. NASA released new views today of two of the most well-known objects...

Pan on the Whirlpool Galaxy

A pan of the Whirlpool Galaxy that reveals the fine details captured by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys across the spiral arms, dust lanes, and galaxy companion.

Zoom into the Eagle Nebula

A zoom into the Eagle Nebula starting with images made from Fuji, NOAO and into the Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys image revealing intricate details of the star-forming cloud of dust and glowing gas.

Pan on the Eagle Nebula

Tilting up on the Eagle Nebula the camera reveals the fine details captured by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys of a monolithic pillar of gas and dust.

Hubble Observations Sky Map Animation

In its 15 years of viewing the sky, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken more than 700,000 exposures and probed more than 22,000 celestial targets as represented by the different colored dots in this map of the sky. All data from April 1990 through March 2005 are represented...

HubbleMinute: 15 Years of Science from Hubble Space Telescope

15th anniversary Hubble Minute on the top science discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope. Images cover planets, comets, stars, galaxies and almost back to the beginning of time. The story leads up to Hubble's largest images ever revealed.

HubbleMinute: Amazing Space "Galileo to the Great Observatories: Telescopes from the Ground Up"

Amazing Space has launched a revolutionary new online program that covers the history, people and technology of telescopes from Galileo to the Great Observatories. The program is unique in its application of on-line tools to build skills for a knowledge base to understand the...