Released: 3-Feb-2005 9:10 AM EST
Light Continues to Echo Three Years After Stellar Outburst
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

The Hubble Space Telescope's latest image of the star V838 Monocerotis reveals dramatic changes in the illumination of surrounding dusty cloud structures. The effect, called a light echo, has been unveiling never-before-seen dust patterns ever since the star suddenly brightened for several weeks in early 2002.

Released: 3-Mar-2005 9:00 AM EST
The Impending Destruction of NGC 1427A
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

What happens when a galaxy falls in with the wrong crowd? The irregular galaxy NGC 1427A is a spectacular example of the resulting stellar rumble. This Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys image was taken in January 2003.

Released: 31-Mar-2005 9:00 AM EST
Hubble Spies Cosmic Dust Bunnies
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Like dust bunnies that lurk in corners and under beds, surprisingly complex loops and blobs of cosmic dust lie hidden in the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1316. This Hubble Space Telescope image taken in March 2003 reveals the dust lanes and star clusters of this giant galaxy that give evidence that it was formed from a past merger of two gas-rich galaxies.

21-Apr-2005 4:00 PM EDT
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

During the 15 years that NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has orbited the Earth, it has taken three-quarters of a million photos of the cosmos. NASA released new views of two of the most well-known objects Hubble has ever observed: the Eagle Nebula and the spiral galaxy M51, known as the Whirlpool Galaxy.

6-Jun-2005 9:00 AM EDT
Supernova Remnant Menagerie
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

A violent and chaotic-looking mass of gas and dust is seen in this Hubble Space Telescope image of a nearby supernova remnant. Denoted N 63A, the object is the remains of a massive star that exploded, spewing its gaseous layers out into an already turbulent region.

22-Jun-2005 1:00 PM EDT
Elusive Planet Reshapes a Ring Around Neighboring Star
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA Hubble Space Telescope's most detailed visible-light image ever taken of a narrow, dusty ring around the nearby star Fomalhaut (HD 216956), offers the strongest evidence yet that an unruly and unseen planet may be gravitationally tugging on the ring.

Released: 27-Jun-2005 11:20 AM EDT
Hubble Captures Outburst from Comet Targeted by Deep Impact
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

In a dress rehearsal for the rendezvous between NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft and comet 9P/Tempel 1, the Hubble Space Telescope captured dramatic images of a new jet of dust streaming from the icy comet. The images are a reminder that Tempel 1's icy nucleus, roughly half the size of Manhattan.

Released: 5-Jul-2005 8:15 AM EDT
Hubble Captures Deep Impact's Collision with a Comet
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured the dramatic effects of the collision early July 4 between an 820-pound projectile released by the Deep Impact spacecraft and comet 9P/Tempel 1. This sequence of images shows the comet before and after the impact.

Released: 28-Jul-2005 2:05 PM EDT
Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star That Explodes as Supernova
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Amidst the glitter of billions of stars in the majestic spiral galaxy called the Whirlpool (M51), a massive star abruptly ends its life in a brilliant flash of light. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope snapped images of the exploding star, called supernova (SN) 2005cs, 12 days after its discovery.

Released: 4-Aug-2005 10:50 AM EDT
Hubble Spies a Zoo of Galaxies
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Gazing deep into the universe, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has spied a menagerie of galaxies. Located within the same tiny region of space, these numerous galaxies display an assortment of unique characteristics. Some are big; some are small. A few are relatively nearby, but most are far away.

Released: 1-Sep-2005 9:15 AM EDT
Hubble Makes Movie of Neptune's Dynamic Atmosphere
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures the distant blue-green world, Neptune, and its satellites in this portrait. Astronomers used Hubble's assortment of filters to pinpoint high altitude clouds floating above the methane rich atmosphere.

Released: 7-Sep-2005 3:25 PM EDT
Largest Asteroid May Be 'Mini Planet' With Water Ice
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA Hubble Space Telescope observations of Ceres, the largest known asteroid, have revealed that the object may be a "mini planet," sharing many characteristics of the rocky, terrestrial planets like Earth. Ceres' mantle, which wraps around the asteroid's, core, may even be composed of water ice.

12-Sep-2005 11:00 AM EDT
Hubble Catches Scattered Light from the Boomerang Nebula
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope caught the Boomerang Nebula in images taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in early 2005. This reflecting cloud of dust and gas has two nearly symmetric lobes of matter that are being ejected from a central star.

20-Sep-2005 10:15 AM EDT
Hubble Finds Mysterious Disk of Blue Stars Around Black Hole
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have identified the source of a mysterious blue light surrounding a supermassive black hole in our neighboring Andromeda Galaxy. Though the light has puzzled astronomers for more than a decade, the new discovery makes the story even more mysterious.

26-Sep-2005 1:25 PM EDT
Spitzer and Hubble Find 'Big Baby' Galaxies in Newborn Universe
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Astronomers have used the penetrating power of two of NASA's Great Observatories, the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes, to identify one of the farthest and most massive galaxies that once inhabited the early universe.

Released: 4-Oct-2005 9:00 AM EDT
Space Observatories Glimpse Faint Afterglow of Nearby Stellar Explosion
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Intricate wisps of glowing gas float amid a myriad of stars in this image of a supernova remnant, the ejected material from the explosion of a massive star, that occurred some 3,000 years ago. This titanic explosion took place in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby neighbor galaxy some 160,000 light-years away.

Released: 19-Oct-2005 2:15 PM EDT
NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA is using the unique capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope for a new class of scientific observations of the Earth's moon. Hubble's resolution and sensitivity to ultraviolet light have allowed the telescope to search for important oxygen-bearing minerals on the moon.

Released: 31-Oct-2005 1:55 PM EST
NASA's Hubble Reveals Possible New Moons Around Pluto
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has spotted two possible new moons orbiting Pluto. If confirmed, the candidate moons could provide new insight into the nature and evolution of the Pluto system and the early Kuiper Belt.

2-Nov-2005 2:00 PM EST
Mars Kicks Up the Dust as It Makes Closest Approach to Earth
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope snapped this picture of Mars on October 28, within a day of its closest approach to Earth on the night of October 29. Hubble astronomers were also excited to have captured a regional dust storm on Mars that has been growing and evolving over the past few weeks.

Released: 10-Nov-2005 1:00 PM EST
Young Stars Sculpt Gas with Powerful Outflows
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

This image of star cluster NGC 346 and its surrounding star-formation region was taken in July 2004. Located 210,000 light-years away in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way, the cluster is one of the most dynamic and intricately detailed star-forming regions in space.

Released: 17-Nov-2005 1:10 PM EST
Hubble, Sloan Quadruple Number of Known Optical Einstein Rings
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Astronomers used the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Hubble Space Telescope to identify 19 new gravitationally lensed galaxies, adding significantly to the approximately 100 gravitational lenses previously known.

30-Nov-2005 9:20 AM EST
A Giant Hubble Mosaic of the Crab Nebula
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

The Crab Nebula is a six-light-year-wide expanding remnant of a star's supernova explosion. Japanese and Chinese astronomers recorded this violent event nearly 1,000 years ago in 1054, as did, almost certainly, Native Americans.

Released: 13-Dec-2005 2:40 PM EST
Astronomers Use Hubble to 'Weigh' Dog Star's Companion
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

For astronomers, it's always been a source of frustration that the nearest white-dwarf star is buried in the glow of the brightest star in the nighttime sky. This burned-out stellar remnant is a faint companion of the brilliant blue-white Dog Star, Sirius, located in the winter constellation Canis Major.

Released: 22-Dec-2005 3:40 PM EST
Hubble Discovers Giant Rings and New Moons Encircling Uranus
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed a new pair of rings around Uranus and two new, small moons orbiting the planet.

Released: 9-Jan-2006 9:20 AM EST
There's More to the North Star than Meets the Eye
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

By stretching the capabilities of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to the limit, astronomers have photographed the close companion of Polaris for the first time. This sequence of images shows that the North Star, Polaris is really a triple star system.

Released: 9-Jan-2006 10:00 AM EST
Mystery Solved: High-Energy Fireworks Linked to Massive Star Cluster
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Call it the Bermuda Triangle of our Milky Way Galaxy: a tiny patch of sky that has been known for years to be the source of the mysterious blasts of X-rays and gamma rays. Now, a team of astronomers has solved the mystery by identifying one of the most massive star clusters in the galaxy.

Released: 10-Jan-2006 10:30 AM EST
Monster Black Holes Grow After Galactic Mergers
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

An analysis of the Hubble Space Telescope's deepest view of the universe offers compelling evidence that monster black holes in the centers of galaxies were not born big but grew over time through repeated galactic mergers.

11-Jan-2006 8:00 AM EST
NASA's Hubble Reveals Thousands of Orion Nebula Stars
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

In one of the most detailed astronomical images ever produced, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured an unprecedented look at the Orion Nebula. This turbulent star formation region is one of astronomy's most dramatic and photogenic celestial objects.

Released: 19-Jan-2006 2:05 PM EST
Dusty Planetary Disks Around Two Nearby Stars Resemble Our Kuiper Belt
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

These two bright debris disks of ice and dust appear to be the equivalent of our own solar system's Kuiper Belt, a ring of icy rocks outside the orbit of Neptune and the source of short-period comets.

Released: 25-Jan-2006 2:15 PM EST
Astronomers Find Smallest Extrasolar Planet Yet Around Normal Star
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Using an armada of telescopes, an international team of astronomers has found the smallest planet ever detected around a normal star outside our solar system. The extrasolar planet is five times as massive as Earth and orbits a red dwarf, a relatively cool star, every 10 years.

Released: 1-Feb-2006 9:20 AM EST
Lecture Series Promotes Respect in the Workplace
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, will host a six-part lecture series entitled "Hard Science/Soft Skills: Fostering Civility in the Scientific Workplace." Lecture dates are Feb. 7, Feb. 28, Mar. 28, Apr. 27, May 30 and Jun. 27. Lectures begin at 4pm in the institute's auditorium.

6-Feb-2006 4:00 PM EST
Hubble Snaps Images of a Pinwheel-Shaped Galaxy
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Stunning details of the face-on spiral galaxy, cataloged as NGC 1309, are captured in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope color image. NGC 1309 was home to supernova SN 2002fk, whose light reached Earth in September 2002. NGC 1309 resides 100 million light-years (30 Megaparsecs) from Earth.

22-Feb-2006 11:45 AM EST
Hubble Confirms New Moons of Pluto
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have confirmed the presence of two new moons around the distant planet Pluto. The moons were first discovered by Hubble in May 2005, but the Pluto Companion Search team probed even deeper into the Pluto system with Hubble on Feb. 15.

27-Feb-2006 7:15 PM EST
Hubble's Largest Galaxy Portrait Offers a New High-Definition View
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image of the face-on spiral galaxy Messier 101 is the largest and most detailed photo of a spiral galaxy that has ever been released from Hubble. The galaxy's portrait is actually composed of 51 individual exposures.

Released: 10-Mar-2006 12:30 PM EST
Hubble's Latest Look at Pluto's Moons Supports a Common Birth
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

The latest NASA Hubble Space Telescope images of Pluto's two newly discovered satellites reveal that the new moons have the same color as Charon. All three of Pluto's satellites reflect the Sun's light equally across the visible spectrum and have essentially the same color as Earth's moon.

15-Mar-2006 5:30 AM EST
Astronomers Measure Precise Mass of a Binary Brown Dwarf
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Astronomers have discovered a pair of young brown dwarfs in mutual orbit. This has enabled scientists to weigh and measure the diameters of brown dwarfs for the first time.

3-Apr-2006 6:10 PM EDT
Nearby Dust Clouds in the Milky Way
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed opaque, dark knots of dust and gas, called "Bok globules" in our Milky Way Galaxy. This cosmic dust, however, is not a nuisance. It is a concentration of elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and throughout the universe. These images of the emission nebula NGC 281 were taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys in October 2005.

Released: 11-Apr-2006 3:25 PM EDT
Hubble Finds that 'Tenth Planet' is Slightly Larger than Pluto
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has resolved the "tenth planet," nicknamed "Xena" for the first time, and has found that it is only just a little larger than Pluto.

Released: 18-Apr-2006 9:30 AM EDT
Magellanic Gemstones in the Southern Sky
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured the most detailed images to date of the open star clusters NGC 265 and NGC 290 in the Small Magellanic Cloud -- two sparkling sets of gemstones in the southern sky. These images, taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys, show a myriad of stars in crystal clear detail.

20-Apr-2006 3:50 PM EDT
Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hubble Telescope!
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

To celebrate the Hubble Space Telescope's 16 years of success, the two space agencies involved in the project, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), are releasing this image of the magnificent starburst galaxy, Messier 82 (M82). This mosaic image is the sharpest wide-angle view ever obtained of M82.

20-Apr-2006 3:50 PM EDT
Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hubble Telescope!
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

To celebrate the Hubble Space Telescope's 16 years of success, the two space agencies involved in the project, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), are releasing this image of the magnificent starburst galaxy, Messier 82 (M82). This mosaic image is the sharpest wide-angle view ever obtained of M82.

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Released: 27-Apr-2006 3:30 PM EDT
Hubble Provides Spectacular Detail of a Comet's Breakup
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Hubble Space Telescope is providing astronomers with extraordinary views of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3. The fragile comet is rapidly disintegrating as it approaches the Sun. Hubble images have uncovered many more fragments than have been reported by ground-based observers. These observations provide an unprecedented opportunity to study the demise of a comet nucleus.

Released: 4-May-2006 5:15 PM EDT
Hubble Snaps Baby Pictures of Jupiter's "Red Spot Jr."
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is giving astronomers their most detailed view yet of a second red spot emerging on Jupiter. For the first time in history, astronomers have witnessed the birth of a new red spot on the giant planet, which is located half a billion miles away. The storm is roughly one-half the diameter of its bigger and legendary cousin, the Great Red Spot.

10-May-2006 9:10 AM EDT
Hubble Finds That Earth Is Safe from One Class of Gamma-Ray Burst
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Homeowners may have to worry about floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes destroying their homes, but at least they can remove long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) from their list of potential natural disasters, according to recent findings by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Long-duration gamma-ray bursts are powerful flashes of high-energy radiation that are sometimes seen coming from certain types of supernovae (the explosions of extremely massive stars).

16-May-2006 9:10 AM EDT
Astronomer Wins Top Prize for Creating Black Hole Web Site
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Explore the world of black holes in an award-winning Web site created by a team led by Roeland van der Marel, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md. The interactive Web site, called "Black Holes: Gravity's Relentless Pull" rescues black holes from the realm of science fiction and puts them back into the domain of science.

16-May-2006 6:35 PM EDT
Astronomers Use Innovative Technique to Find Extrasolar Planet
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

An international team of professional and amateur astronomers, using simple off-the-shelf equipment to trawl the skies for planets outside our solar system, has hauled in its first "catch." The astronomers discovered a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a Sun-like star 600 light-years from Earth in the constellation Corona Borealis.

22-May-2006 2:35 PM EDT
Hubble Captures a "Five-Star" Rated Gravitational Lens
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured the first-ever picture of a group of five star-like images of a single distant quasar. The multiple-image effect seen in the Hubble picture is produced by a process called gravitational lensing, in which the gravitational field of a massive object -- in this case, a cluster of galaxies -- bends and amplifies light from an object -- in this case, a quasar -- farther behind it.

Released: 8-Jun-2006 3:20 PM EDT
Hubble Sees Galaxy on Edge
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

This is a unique view of the disk galaxy NGC 5866 tilted nearly edge-on to our line-of-sight. Hubble's sharp vision reveals a crisp dust lane dividing the galaxy into two halves. The image highlights the galaxy's structure: a subtle, reddish bulge surrounding a bright nucleus, a blue disk of stars running parallel to the dust lane, and a transparent outer halo.

12-Jun-2006 1:15 PM EDT
Hubble Eyes Star Birth in the Extreme
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Staring into the crowded, dusty core of two merging galaxies, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered a region where star formation has gone wild.

Released: 27-Jun-2006 6:45 PM EDT
Hubble Reveals Two Dust Disks Around Nearby Star
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Detailed images of the nearby star Beta Pictoris, taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, confirm the existence of not one but two dust disks encircling the star. The images offer tantalizing new evidence for at least one Jupiter-size planet orbiting Beta Pictoris.


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