Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes

News & Articles

Amid a field of galaxies, a repeated, elongated red galaxy forms a shape like the top of a question mark, with another galaxy positioned like the question mark’s dot. In each occurrence, another white, clumpy galaxy with an overall circular shape appears perched on top of the red galaxy. A very bright foreground galaxy appears to the right of the bottom curve of the question mark shape. To the lower right, among other galaxies, another occurrence of the galaxy pair appears, unaffiliated with the question mark shape.

NASA’s Webb Reveals Distorted Galaxy Forming Cosmic Question Mark

5 min read

It’s 7 billion years ago, and the universe’s heyday of star formation is beginning to slow. What might our Milky…

Article1 week ago
Hundreds of small galaxies against the black background of space. Several white spiral galaxies are near image center. Most of the galaxies are various shades of orange and red, and many are too tiny to discern a shape. A handful of foreground stars show Webb's six diffraction spikes.

Webb Finds Early Galaxies Weren’t Too Big for Their Britches After All

5 min read

It got called the crisis in cosmology. But now astronomers can explain some surprising recent discoveries. When astronomers got their…

Article3 weeks ago
Illustration of a particle jet emerging from a dying star

NASA’s Fermi Finds New Feature in Brightest Gamma-Ray Burst Yet Seen

4 min read

In October 2022, astronomers were stunned by what was quickly dubbed the BOAT — the brightest-of-all-time gamma-ray burst (GRB). Now…

Article2 months ago

How NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Will Illuminate Cosmic Dawn

6 min read

Today, enormous stretches of space are crystal clear, but that wasn’t always the case. During its infancy, the universe was…

Article2 months ago
Arp 142, two interacting galaxies, observed in near- and mid-infrared light. At left is NGC 2937, nicknamed the Egg. Its center is the brighter and whiter. There are six diffraction spikes atop its gauzy blue layers. At right is NGC 2936, nicknamed the Penguin. Its beak-like region points toward and above the Egg. Where the eye would be is a small, opaque yellow spiral. The Penguin’s distorted arms form the bird’s beak, back, and tail. The tail is wide and layered, like a beta fish’s tail. A semi-transparent blue hue traces the Penguin and extends from the galaxy, creating an upside-down U over top of both galaxies. At top right is another galaxy seen from the side, pointing roughly at a 45-degree angle. It is largely light blue. Its length appears approximately as long as the Egg’s height. One foreground star with large, bright blue diffraction spikes appears over top of the galaxy and another near it. The entire black background is filled with tiny, extremely distant galaxies.

Vivid Portrait of Interacting Galaxies Marks Webb’s Second Anniversary

6 min read

Two for two! A duo of interacting galaxies commemorates the second science anniversary of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which…

Article2 months ago
The bright-white, diffuse glow of an elliptical galaxy sits at image center. The galaxy's core appears as an intense-white circle that gets more diffuse as you move outward from the core. A rusty-red, diffuse cloud is visible to the upper-left of the galaxy. It extends to the upper-left corner of the image, where it is very faint. Black background dotted with foreground stars and distant galaxies.

Hubble Examines an Active Galaxy Near the Lion’s Heart

2 min read

It might appear featureless and unexciting at first glance, but NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observations of this elliptical galaxy —…

Article3 months ago
Keep exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Glenn University Senior Capstone Project – Mold Height Adjustment

Solar Storms and Flares

A close-up portion of the Sun appears in shades of yellow, brown, and white. A bright white burst of light, a solar flare, appears in the upper right.

SCaN Lunar Support

Amendment 47: DRAFT F.12 Artemis IV Deployed Instruments Program Released for Community Comment.

In the foreground is a figure kneeling on a light grey surface, examining or holding something that is sifting through their gloved left hand. The person is wearing a spacesuit and a big, boxy backpack. A reflective visor that catches and reflects bright light, possibly from the Sun, draws the viewers eye. The background is black. In the distance, mechanical equipment or structures are visible, including a small and simple vehicle.