The “Space Coral Reef” by Hubble
The Hubble Space Telescope, one of the most important scientific tools, has released beautiful images of a distant galaxy, marking 30 years of Hubble’s operation in space. In the image titled the “Space Coral Reef,” a massive red nebula (NGC 2014) and its blue neighbor (NGC 2020) reside in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way located about 163,000 light-years from Earth.
The center of NGC 2014 contains a series of bright stars, each weighing 10 to 20 times more than the Sun.
The image is named the “Space Coral Reef” because astronomers believe the nebulae resemble a world beneath the ocean.
Close-up of the Sun
Earlier this year, the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) – the largest and most advanced solar telescope located in Hawaii – captured an unprecedented image with astonishing detail of the Sun’s surface. The image reveals an up-close view of the Sun’s surface with plasma structures reaching temperatures of thousands of degrees, forming mesmerizing and irregular patterns. Each plasma structure is roughly the size of the state of Texas in the United States.
Scientists aim to use this image to study the Sun’s impact in space, especially its effects on Earth, and to better predict the patterns of solar storms and their impact on satellites, astronauts, and even power grids.
Flying over Jupiter
During its 4-year mission in orbit, NASA’s Juno spacecraft continuously sent back images of Jupiter – the largest planet in the Solar System. Jupiter rotates faster than any neighboring planet, completing one rotation in just about 10 hours.
Its rapid rotation creates strong opposing winds, separating Jupiter’s clouds into bright regions and dark belts around it. The powerful winds on Mercury can reach speeds of up to 384 mph, making it known for its powerful storms.
Surface of Mars with 1.8 billion pixels resolution
The highest-resolution image of the Martian surface ever (1.8 billion pixels) was assembled from over 1,000 images captured by the Curiosity rover’s Mast Camera. NASA states that all individual images were taken using the rover’s telephoto lens during the midday to 2 p.m. (local Mars time) to ensure optimal lighting conditions and produce the highest-quality images.
Map of 1.8 billion stars in the Milky Way
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Gaia observatory unveiled a detailed map of the Milky Way, displaying the positions of approximately 1.812 billion stars with unprecedented accuracy. Launched into space in December 2013, the $1 billion observatory is situated about 1.5 million km from Earth, where the gravitational balance between the blue planet and the Sun is maintained, ensuring unobstructed visibility. Gaia can measure 100,000 stars every minute, or 850 million objects each day, and can scan the entire sky about once every two months.