Images Dated 18th November 2004

Jupiter

Jupiter. True colour optical image of Jupiter, taken from a mosaic of shots by the Cassini spacecraft on 29 December 2000. Passing at a distance of 10 million kilometres, Cassini provided the most detailed images of the planet yet produced. Jupiter is a gas giant and, with a diameter 11 times that of Earth, the largest planet in the Solar System. Powerful jet streams create bands of coloured clouds in the planet's atmosphere, dotted with spots marking atmospheric disturbances; which can persist for many years. The largest such spot is the Great Red Spot (below centre). The clouds are made of ammonia, hydrogen sulphide and water

© NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

More than two hundred children spent an enjoyable afternoon at the Childrens Christmas

More than two hundred children spent an enjoyable afternoon at the Children's Christmas Party organised by Mrs Madge Clarke at the Park Lane Hotel in aid of the Dockland Settlements. Picture shows "Wait for the bang" Peta Carolyn Stocker (left) markes her sixth birthday today (Tuesday) by pulling a cracker with kilted Hugh Sawyer also six, of Crawley Downs, Sussex, at the party. - 16th December 1947

© TopFoto.co.uk

Spiral galaxy NGC 7331

Spiral galaxy NGC 7331. Spitzer Space Telescope infrared image of the spiral galaxy NGC 7331. This galaxy lies around 50 million light years from Earth in the constellation Pegasus. Notable in this image is the bright yellow ring of star formation around the galaxy's centre. The ring has a radius of 20, 000 light years and is made up of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), with enough material to form about four billion stars of the magnitude of our Sun. The three galaxies below NGC 7331 are about 10 times farther away. Wavelengths of 3.6 microns are coloured blue, 4.5 microns are green, 5.8 microns are yellow and 8.0 micron wavelengths are red

© NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY