Astrophysical Collection (page 2)

Solar prominence, ultraviolet SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) satellite image. The prominence (top right), is a dense cloud of plasma, or ionised gas

Helix nebula, planetary nebula
Helix nebula (NGC 7293), optical image. This is a planetary nebula, a series of shells of gas cast off from a Sun-like star towards the end of its life

Halleys Comet, 1910
Halleys Comet. Halleys Comet orbits the Sun every 76 years. This periodicity was discovered by Edmund Halley (1654-1742), after whom the comet is named

Solar prominence. SOHO image of a huge prominence in the corona of the Sun. The prominence is a massive cloud of plasma confined by powerful magnetic fields

Helix nebula, HST image
Helix Nebula. Hubble Space Telescope image of the Helix planetary nebula (NGC 7293). This comprises shells of gas cast off a Sun-like star near the end of its life

Transit of Venus, 8th June 2004
Transit of Venus. Composite image of Venus (black transiting the Sun on 8th June 2004. The images were taken from Waldenburg, Germany)

Alexander Friedman, Soviet cosmologist
Alexander Alexandrovich Friedman (1888-1925), Russian and Soviet cosmologist and mathematician. Friedman, who lived and worked in Leningrad, is considered the founder of modern cosmology

Lovell radio telescope. This large radio telescope dish is located at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, UK. It has a diameter of 76 metres

Milky Way over Scottish loch
Milky Way, over Clatteringshaws Loch, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The Milky Way, our galaxy seen from the inside, is the band of stars, nebulae and dust lanes running vertically across the sky

Dark matter distribution. Supercomputer simulation of the distribution of dark matter in the local universe. Dark matter is a form of matter that cannot be detected by telescopes as it emits no

Kepler-10b exoplanet, artwork
January 10, 2011 WASHINGTON -- NASAs Kepler mission confirmed the discovery of its first rocky planet, named Kepler-10b. Measuring 1.4 times the size of Earth

Open star cluster NGC 3603, HST image. The stars seen here are young stars, heating the gas and dust of the nebulae around them

Time warp, conceptual image. Composite artwork of a clock being sucked into a wormhole

Whirlpool Galaxy (M51, NGC 5194), visible light image. The Whirlpool galaxy is locked in a gravitational interaction with the smaller irregular galaxy NGC 5195 (left of M51)

Large Magellanic cloud
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), infrared image. The LMC is a dwarf galaxy, and a satellite of our own Milky Way galaxy. It contains regions of emission nebula (green, yellow and red)

Arecibo message and decoded key C016 / 6817
Arecibo message and decoded key. Diagram showing the binary transmission (left) known as the Arecibo message, with the message decoded and labelled at centre and right

Albert Einstein, caricature
Albert Einstein. Caricature of the Swiss-German physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Einstein received the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics for work on the photoelectric effect

Einstein and Eddington, 1930
Einstein and Eddington. German-born physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), at left, was famous for his theories of relativity

Voyager probe trajectory, artwork C018 / 0285
Voyager probe trajectory, artwork. Artwork of the trajectory of one of the Voyager probes as it travels out of the solar system

Alpha Centauri binary stars and planets. Artwork from above the surface of one of the moons of one of the planets in the Alpha Centauri binary star system

M9 globular cluster, HST image
M9 globular cluster, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image. Combined optical and infrared image of the Messier 9 (M9) globular star cluster

Kepler-22b, artwork C013 / 9945
Kepler-22b. Computer artwork of the extrasolar planet Kepler-22b. Kepler-22b is about 2.5 times the size of Earth and orbits the G-type star Kepler-22 around 600 light years from Earth

ISS and the Moon C013 / 5148
ISS and the Moon. The International Space Station (ISS, upper left) is orbiting the Earth here at an altitude of around 390 kilometres

Planets internal structures, and Pluto, computer artwork. Mercury, Mars and Venus consist of a large iron core (spherical), surrounded by a thick silicate mantle (yellow) covered in a surface crust

Infinity symbol and black hole
Black hole, abstract computer artwork. Matter is spiralling into the black hole, dragged by the immense gravitational forces. This causes the matter to give off high-energy X-rays

Oscillating universe theory, artwork. Also called cyclic models, these theories of the origin and nature of the universe postulate that following the Big Bang there is enough mass to reverse

Aurora borealis over trees by a river. This coloured light display (the northern lights) is visible in the night sky at high latitudes

Zeta Ophiuchi bow shock, infrared image C016 / 9726
Zeta Ophiuchi bow shock. Infrared image from NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) of the bow shock in the interstellar medium caused by stellar winds from the fast-moving star Zeta Ophiuchi

Carina Nebula features, HST image C013 / 5604
Carina Nebula features, HST image. These pillars of gas and dust within the Carina Nebula are Herbig-Haro Objects (HH 901 and HH 902)

Water on Mars, conceptual image. Computer artwork showing frozen water ice under Mars surface

Seagull Nebula, composite image. The image combines visible data and infrared data (orange). This star formation region is around 3500 light years distant on the borders of the constellations of

Helix Nebula, VISTA image C023 / 0103
Helix Nebula. Infrared image of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), a planetary nebula located 700 light-years from Earth. Imaged by VISTA (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy)

Solar activity, SDO image C023 / 8088
Solar activity, SDO image. Coloured image of the surface of the Sun, showing one of an unusual series of eruptions that led to a series of fast puffs

Kepler-35 planetary system, artwork C015 / 0790
Kepler-35 planet system, artwork. This Saturn-size planet orbits a binary star system (top). The larger star is similar in size to the Sun, while the smaller stars diameter is 4/5th that of the Sun

M22 Globular Star Cluster, Hubble image C017 / 3722
M14 Globular Star Cluster (NGC 6656). This globular cluster lies around 10, 400 light years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius

Milky Way-Andromeda galactic collision C014 / 4726
Milky Way-Andromeda galactic collision. Artwork showing the future collision between the Milky Way Galaxy (disrupted) and the Andromeda Galaxy (spiral, lower left)

Super-Earth extrasolar planet, artwork C015 / 0800
Super-Earth extrasolar planet seen from the surface of its moon, artwork. Its parent red dwarf star is at lower centre, being transited by an inner planet

Spiral galaxy, HST image C013 / 5098
Spiral galaxy. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image of the spiral galaxy NGC 3982. It is located in the constellation Ursa Major, approximately 68 million light years from Earth

Herschels observations of galaxies. At the time of these observations, these objects were considered to be within our galaxy

Nebulae drawn by William Herschel, 1811 C002 / 5044
Nebulae drawn by the British astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822), published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in 1811

Comparing planetary systems, artwork
Comparing planetary systems. Artwork comparing the sizes of the 55 Cancri (a Sun-like system, left) and the Cha 110913-773444 (upper right) planetary systems

Supernova remnant IC 443, composite image. This is a combination of X-ray (blue), radio (green) and optical (red) data. A supernova remnant (SNR)

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum Anya )
Organic potatoes (Solanum tuberosum Anya )

Hubble Space Telescope in orbit, artwork
Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in orbit over the Earth, artwork. The HST is an astronomical satellite in orbit around Earth

Comet Hale-Bopp 1997 C011 / 1167
In March 1997 comet Hale-Bopp appeared in the north-eastern morning sky and in April in the north-western evening sky to be seen all the night

Globular star cluster NGC 6101. This globular star cluster is located in the constellation Apus. It is around 50, 000 light years from Earth, and 36, 500 light years from the galactic centre

Comet Lovejoy at dawn over the Southern Ocean. At upper right is part of the Milky Way, the band of billions of stars that is our galaxy seen from the inside

18th Century astronomical diagrams. Historical diagrams describing various 18th Century theoretical systems used to describe the motion of the planets in our solar system

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Astrophysical wonders never cease to amaze us, reminding us of our infinitesimal place in the vastness of the universe. Take a moment to ponder the significance of these celestial marvels. The iconic image known as "Pale Blue Dot" captured by Voyager 1 serves as a humbling reminder of Earth's minuscule size amidst the cosmic expanse. It reminds us that we are merely inhabitants on this tiny speck floating through space. In 2012, Hubble Ultra Deep Field unveiled an awe-inspiring snapshot showcasing thousands of galaxies, each containing billions of stars. This breathtaking view allows us to glimpse into the depths of time and witness the birth and death cycles occurring across countless light-years. The historic 1919 solar eclipse provided evidence supporting Einstein's theory of general relativity, forever changing our understanding of gravity and its effects on light bending around massive objects. Orion's Belt, a prominent feature in our night sky, guides stargazers towards Orion Nebula - a stellar nursery where new stars are born from swirling clouds of gas and dust. Its ethereal beauty captivates observers with its vibrant colors and intricate details. The Pillars of Creation within Eagle Nebula stand tall as colossal columns sculpted by stellar winds and intense radiation. These towering structures serve as incubators for new star formation, reminding us that even in seemingly desolate regions lies immense potential for life to emerge. Nebula Sh 2-106 presents itself like an otherworldly painting when observed through HST imagery. Its mesmerizing mixtures of gases create stunning hues that ignite curiosity about what lies beyond our own galaxy. Gas pillars within Eagle Nebula offer glimpses into cosmic nurseries where young stars form amidst turbulent surroundings. These majestic formations showcase nature's ability to shape matter into extraordinary shapes over millions or billions of years. Once again referencing the pivotal 1919 solar eclipse.