Nebula

A Dying Red Giant Star has Thrown Out Giant Symmetrical Loops of Gas and Dust

The Gemini South telescope has captured a new image of the glowing nebula IC 2220. Nicknamed the Toby Jug Nebula,…

1 year ago

A Feline in the Heavens: The Smiling Cat Nebula

A stellar nursery sounds like a placid place where baby stars go about their business undisturbed. But, of course, a…

1 year ago

The Tarantula Nebula Shouldn’t Be Forming Stars. What’s Going On?

The Tarantula Nebula is a star formation region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Tarantula is about 160,000 light-years away…

1 year ago

New Images Reveal the Magnetic Fields in the Horsehead Nebula

A high-school student and an international team of astronomers created the first-ever map of the Horsehead Nebula's magnetic field.

2 years ago

Each Planetary Nebula is Unique. Why Do They Look So Different?

When it comes to cosmic eye candy, planetary nebulae are at the top of the candy bowl. Like fingerprints—or maybe…

2 years ago

How Cold is Space?

The average temperature of the universe is downright cold - right around 3 degrees above absolute zero. (more…)

2 years ago

Hubble’s New View of the Tarantula Nebula

The Tarantula Nebula, also called 30 Doradus, is the brightest star-forming region in our part of the galaxy. It's in…

2 years ago

Beautiful New Hubble Photo Shows Hot, Young Variable Stars in the Orion Nebula

Here’s another striking image from the venerable Hubble Space Telescope. These billows of blue and red show a detailed look…

2 years ago

This Serpent’s Tail is Made of Starry Nebulae

The ancients didn't have the scientific understanding of nature that we have now. All they could do was look up…

2 years ago

Here's a new Image of the Carina Nebula From Hubble

Like a famous (and photogenic) actor followed by paparazzi, the Carina Nebula is one of the most photographed objects in…

2 years ago