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Hubble Space Telescope Observations Map

This animation starts with a flat projection of the entire sky. In this projection the sky is bisected by the plane of our Milky Way galaxy. Hubble Space Telescope target locations over the 21 years are shown sequentially, from solar system to extragalactic. Stellar targets are spread over the entire celestial sphere; planets lie along the solar system’s ecliptic plane (S-shaped in this projection), and distant targets are at high galactic latitudes. As of July 4, 2011, Hubble has made one million science observations.... Read More | Share it now!

The Butterfly Nebula

This slow pan of the Butterfly or Bug Nebula captures the detail available in the Hubble image of the planetary nebula, located 3,800 light-years away from Earth. The nebula’s gas is tearing across space at more than 600,000 miles per hour.... Read More | Share it now!

The Helix Nebula

A 3-D model of the Helix Nebula shows a structure much more complex than suspected. The Helix Nebula is a planetary nebula, created when gas is expelled by a dying, Sun-sized star. The star becomes a white dwarf — look for it in the center of the Helix.... Read More | Share it now!

Behind the Webb: Good Vibrations (Episode 13)

The James Webb Space Telescope will experience intense forces as it launches into space. To ensure that the different parts of the observatory won’t suffer damage during this stage of the mission, engineers shake them rigorously. These two- to three-week-long vibration tests are performed on each of Webb’s 18 primary mirror segments and the secondary, tertiary, and fine-steering mirrors. Engineers test the mirror’s optics before and after each vibration test to confirm that the simulated launch left the mirror surface unscathed, without deformation or structural changes.... Read More | Share it now!