Globular Star Cluster NGC 1851 in Columba | Hubble

Globular Star Cluster NGC 1851 in Columba | Hubble

NGC 1851, or Caldwell 73, was discovered by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop in 1826. It is located roughly 40,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Columba and has an apparent magnitude of 7.3. This dense globular cluster can be spotted through a pair of binoculars, appearing as a fuzzy patch of light. Small telescopes can resolve examples of the cluster’s individual stars, away from its compact center. Caldwell 73 is easiest to view from equatorial latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter and from the Southern Hemisphere during the summer.

The stars in many known globular clusters are about the same age, indicating that the stars formed at roughly the same time. However, observations of Caldwell 73 reveal that it hosts stellar populations with distinct ages. The cluster is also encircled by a diffuse halo of stars. Although the origins of the halo and multiple star populations are unknown, one idea is that Caldwell 73 is a remnant of two clusters that collided within a dwarf galaxy that once hosted them both. When the clusters merged, the outer regions of the host galaxy may have been stripped away via interactions with more massive galaxies, leaving only the stellar nucleus and halo behind.

This image of Caldwell 73 was captured by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3. It is a composite of multiple observations taken at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths. The observations were taken to help astronomers better understand why some globular clusters appear to play host to multiple generations of stars. A bright, blue, giant star appears to the lower left of center.

Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Piotto (Università degli Studi di Padova)

Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Release Date: April 9, 2019

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularClusters #NGC1851 #ColumbaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

This is NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

This is NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

From sounding rockets to high altitude balloons to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), there is no place quite like NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (WFF).

Wallops Flight Facility is a rocket launch site on Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, United States, just east of the Delmarva Peninsula and approximately 100 miles (160 km) north-northeast of Norfolk. The facility is operated by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and primarily serves to support science and exploration missions for NASA and other federal agencies. 

Learn more about Wallops: https://www.nasa.gov/wallops/

Video Credit: NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility
Producer/Editor: Madison Griffin
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Feb. 17, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #EarthScience #Science #SoundingRockets #TerrierOrionSoundingRockets #MagellanAerospace #BlackBrant #SubOrbitalExperiments #RocketLaunches #HighAltitudeBalloons #UnmannedAerialVehicles #UAVs #Students #WallopsIsland #WFF #NASAWallops #Virginia #NASAGoddard #GSFC #UnitedStates #AtlanticOcean #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Up Close: Dwarf Galaxy NGC 147 in Cassiopeia | Hubble Space Telescope

Up Close: Dwarf Galaxy NGC 147 in Cassiopeia | Hubble Space Telescope

NGC 147, also known as Caldwell 17, is a dwarf galaxy located roughly 2.5 million light-years from Earth. It is a member of the Local Group of galaxies. It is dominated by our Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy. NGC 147, like its neighbor NGC 185, is a distant satellite of the Andromeda galaxy. Just as the planets in the solar system are gravitationally bound to the Sun, so are these smaller galaxies bound to their much more massive galactic host. While many classes of galaxies can exist as satellites, dwarf spheroidal galaxies (small, dim, spherical-shaped galaxies) like NGC 147 have been observed in this role more frequently than any other type of galaxy.

Dwarf satellite galaxies tend to appear very diffuse and dim, so they can be difficult to spot (especially in light-polluted or hazy skies). NGC 147 is no exception. It has an apparent magnitude of 9.5, and observers will need a small telescope set up in a dark location to detect the faint galaxy. NGC 147 is located in the southern edge of the constellation Cassiopeia, between the constellation’s “W” pattern and the Andromeda galaxy. (The neighboring NGC 185 is brighter and less diffuse, so it is easier to see.) The best time of year to spot NGC 147 from the Northern Hemisphere is the autumn. It can also be seen in northern latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere in the spring. The galaxy was discovered by the English astronomer John Herschel in September of 1829.

This image of NGC 147 is a composite of observations made in visible and infrared light by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3. The image captures an area near the core of the galaxy, notable for its elderly stellar population. Astronomers used Hubble’s observations to investigate the properties of NGC 147’s many globular star clusters.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Ferguson (University of Edinburgh, Institute for Astronomy)

Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Date: June 26, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #NGC147 #CassiopeiaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education 

Astronauts Adenot & Meir Prepare for Exercise Sessions | International Space Station

Astronauts Adenot & Meir Prepare for Exercise Sessions | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineers (from left) Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Jessica Meir of NASA take a portrait together before beginning their exercise sessions on the International Space Station. Afterward, Adenot worked out on the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) that mimics free weights on Earth, while Meir jogged on the COLBERT treadmill. Both exercise devices are located inside the Tranquility module. 

The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) is an exercise device designed by NASA to allowed for more intense workouts in zero gravity. The device was flown to the International Space Station during STS-126 and installed in 2009 to replace its inefficient predecessor, the Interim Resistance Exercise Device. The device uses a system of vacuum tubes and flywheel cables to simulate the process of free weight exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, and calf raises, workouts that more effectively prevent lower muscle atrophy, although it has the capability to workout any muscle group.

COLBERT Treadmill:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Node-3_Cupola/T2_Colbert_Treadmill

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Credit: ESA/Sophie Adenot
Release Date: Feb. 16, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #Crew12Commander #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #France #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #Expedition75 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Artemis II Moon Mission Crew Trains on T-38 Supersonic Jet over Texas

Artemis II Moon Mission Crew Trains on T-38 Supersonic Jet over Texas

NASA astronaut Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen take off on a T-38 training flight from Ellington Field on Feb. 11, 2026, as a waning crescent Moon hovers above. Koch and Hansen, along with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, are part of NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Artemis II will fly around the Moon and back to test Orion’s systems and capabilities before returning the crew to a splashdown off the California coast.

The Northrop Grumman T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twinjet supersonic jet trainer designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Northrop Corporation, now known as Northrop Grumman. The T-38 was the world's first supersonic trainer as well as the most produced.

Update: The Artemis II SLS rocket will be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center due to an issues with fueling the rocket's upper stage with helium. This will make an April 2026 launch window necessary.

Read more about NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket: nasa.gov/sls

NASA Artemis II Mission page:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Follow NASA updates on the Artemis Program blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Image Credit: NASA/Brendan Finnegan
Image Date: Feb. 11, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #T38JetAircraft #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #SLSRocket #CrewedMissions #Astronauts #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #EllingtonField #Houston #Texas #JSC #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

Time beneath The Earth's Southern Sky: View from Australia

Time beneath The Earth's Southern Sky: View from Australia

The Southern Hemisphere is the half (hemisphere) of Earth that is south of the equator. It contains all or part of five continents (the whole of Antarctica, the whole of Australia, about 90% of South America, about one-third of Africa, and some islands off the continental mainland of Asia) and four oceans (the whole Southern Ocean, the majority of the Indian Ocean, the South Atlantic Ocean, and the South Pacific Ocean), as well as New Zealand and most of the Pacific Islands in Oceania. Its surface is 80.9% water, compared with 60.7% water in the Northern Hemisphere, and it contains 32.7% of Earth's land.

In the Southern Hemisphere, you can more easily see the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC and LMC), the largest dwarf galaxies nearest to the Milky Way.

A Beginner's Guide to the Southern Hemisphere Sky:
https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/beginners-guide-to-the-southern-hemisphere-sky/

Video Credit: Cullen Pan
Location: near Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia
Duration: 43 seconds
Date: February 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Cosmos #Universe #Stars #Galaxies #LMC #SMC #MilkyWayGalaxy #SolarSystem #Planet #Earth #SouthernHemisphere #Astrophotographer #CullenPan #Astrophotography #Skywatching #Uluru #NorthernTerritory #Australia #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-21 Crew Release Music Video Tribute | China Space Station

Shenzhou-21 Crew Release Music Video Tribute | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-21 crew aboard China's orbiting space station released a music video tracing the country's space endeavors, blending their scientific mission with a musical tribute to celebrate the Spring Festival that fell on February 17, this year.

Taking a break from their busy schedule in orbit, the trio—Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang— recorded the song "The Five-Starred Red Flag Flutters in Space", specifically composed for Chinese space professionals.

Ahead of the music video, the crew shared their personal reflections on the national flag.

"The first time I performed a spacewalk, the five-star red flag of China outside the cabin was shining with dazzling brilliance," recalled Wu Fei.

"That five-star red flag is the most beautiful scenery in my heart," said Zhang Hongzhang.

"Let the five-star red flag fly high in space," the trio said together, setting the stage for their musical tribute recorded 400 kilometers above the Earth.

The video pays tribute to the pioneers of the space program, featuring footage of China's first astronaut in space, Yang Liwei, alongside subsequent generations of astronauts who have followed in his path.

Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞)  Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 4 minutes
Release Date: Feb. 17, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #History #Shenzhou21Mission #神舟二十一号 #Shenzhou21 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhangLu #WuFei #ZhangHongzhang #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #MicrogravityExperiments #SpaceLaboratory #CNSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Meet European Space Agency Astronaut Sophie Adenot of France | εpsilon Mission

Meet European Space Agency Astronaut Sophie Adenot of France | εpsilon Mission

Born in France in 1982, Sophie Adenot is an engineer, helicopter test pilot, and colonel in the French Air and Space Force. Selected as an European Space Agency astronaut in 2022, she completed her basic training at the European Astronaut Center in 2024 and launched to the International Space Station on February 13, 2026, for her first mission, εpsilon.

Astronaut Sophie Adenot's Biography:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Sophie_Adenot

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Credits: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 8 minutes, 37 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 21, 2026

    

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Parts & Assembly | NASA Goddard

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Parts & Assembly | NASA Goddard

The Nancy Grace Roman observatory is slated to launch no later than May 2027 with the team aiming for as early as fall 2026. The mission will expand our understanding of the universe with its deep and sweeping views of space.

More than a thousand technicians and engineers assembled Roman from millions of individual components. Many parts were built and tested simultaneously to save time. Now that the observatory is assembled, it will undergo a spate of testing prior to shipping to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in summer 2026.

Learn more about the assembly of Roman at: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/roman-space-telescope/building-roman/

Learn about the Roman telescope and the discoveries it will enable: 
https://www.stsci.edu/roman

Learn more about Dr. Nancy Grace Roman: 
https://science.nasa.gov/people/nancy-roman/

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 

Scott Wiessinger (eMITS): Producer/Writer/Editor

Ashley Balzer (eMITS): Science Writer
Jonathan North (eMITS): Animator
Duration: 2 minutes, 39 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #NASARoman #RomanSpaceTelescope #NancyGraceRoman #Exoplanets #Planets #SolarSystem #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxies #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Northern Lights over Finland

Northern Lights over Finland

Photographer Thomas Walter Steffen: "Just around midnight, a huge and strong aurora appeared over the sky of Äkäslompolo. The aurora was so strong, like a full Moon night."

Also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia.

Image Credit: Thomas Walter Steffen
Location: Äkäslompolo, Finland
Date: Feb. 14, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Photography #ThomasWalterSteffen #Photographers #Äkäslompolo #Finland #Suomi #STEM #Education

City Lights of Italy Sparkle from Naples to Genoa | International Space Station

City Lights of Italy Sparkle from Naples to Genoa | International Space Station

The city lights of Italy sparkle from Naples to Genoa along the western coast and from Bari to Venice along the eastern coast in this photograph taken at approximately 12:53 a.m. local time from the International Space Station as it orbited 262 miles above the Mediterranean Sea. 

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: JAXA/Kimiya Yui
Date: Dec. 26, 2025

NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #Italy #Italia #Naples #Napoli #Genoa #Genova #Bari #Bare #Venice #Venezia #Astronauts #UnitedStates #KimiyaYui #AstronautPhotography #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket on Launch Pad | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket on Launch Pad | Kennedy Space Center

Updates: NASA successfully fueled its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and demonstrated the launch countdown for Artemis II on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, during a wet dress rehearsal at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  

Engineers loaded more than 700,000 gallons of liquid propellant into the rocket, sent a closeout crew to the launch pad to demonstrate closing the Orion spacecraft’s hatches, and completed two runs of terminal count—the final phase of the launch countdown. The Artemis II crew also observed part of the test from the Launch Control Center at NASA Kennedy. 

During the test, teams closely monitored liquid hydrogen fueling operations that proved challenging during previous tests. Hydrogen gas concentrations remained under allowable limits, giving engineers confidence in new seals installed in an interface used to route fuel to the rocket.  

Early in fueling operations, teams experienced a loss of ground communications in the Launch Control Center. Operators temporarily moved to backup communication methods to maintain safe propellant loading activities before normal communications channels were restored. Engineers isolated the equipment that caused the issue. 

While engineers review data from the test, the Artemis II crew is preparing to enter quarantine late Friday, Feb. 20, in Houston. Although NASA has not set a formal launch date, beginning the roughly 14-day quarantine to limit the crew’s exposure to illness before launch preserves flexibility in the March launch window. 

Over the next several days, technicians will use cranes to set up temporary access platforms on the mobile launcher. The platforms will allow them to reach the upper left and right segments of the SLS solid rocket boosters and core stage intertank to service the flight termination system and retest it to meet Eastern Range safety requirements. The platforms were developed based on lessons learned during Artemis I and enable NASA to complete end-to-end testing of the safety system while at the launch pad rather than rolling back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy for retesting.  

The closeout crew also will practice closeout operations once more, adding to the team’s proficiency. 

Artemis II will pave the way for new U.S. crewed missions on the lunar surface in preparation to send the first astronauts to Mars. 

Read more about NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket: nasa.gov/sls

NASA Artemis II Mission page:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Follow NASA updates on the Artemis Program blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Image Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Date: Feb. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #SLSRocket #CrewedMissions #Astronauts #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #KSC #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

Sierra Space Dream Chaser Completes Tow Testing | NASA's Kennedy Space Center

Sierra Space Dream Chaser Completes Tow Testing | NASA's Kennedy Space Center

During tow testing at KSC and Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility, a Freightliner Cascadia truck towed Dream Chaser at high speeds to simulate critical dynamics and validate autonomous navigational parameters.

Dream Chaser also successfully demonstrated the ability to receive telemetry and distribute commands between the spacecraft and Mission Control in Louisville, Colorado over NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System network.  

The testing campaign concluded with a post landing recovery rehearsal.

Learn more: https://www.sierraspace.com/press-releases/sierra-spaces-dream-chaser-spaceplane-successfully-completes-critical-pre-flight-milestones/

Learn more about Dream Chaser: 
https://www.sierraspace.com/space-transportation/dream-chaser-spaceplane/

Video Credit: Sierra Space
Duration: 4 minutes, 38 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #CommercialCargo #CRS #SierraSpace #DreamChaser #ReusableSpacecraft #DreamChaserSpacecraft #CargoSpacecraft #Tenacity #VulcanCentaurRocket #ULA #Spaceflight #Science #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #CommercialSpace #KSC #NASAKennedy #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

A Tour of Nearby Spiral Galaxy NGC 5134 in Virgo | Webb Telescope

A Tour of Nearby Spiral Galaxy NGC 5134 in Virgo | Webb Telescope

Two powerful instruments of the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope joined forces to create this scenic galaxy view. This spiral galaxy is named NGC 5134, and it is located 65 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo.

Though 65 million light-years may seem like a huge distance—the light that Webb collected to create this image has been journeying to us from NGC 5134 since soon after Tyrannosaurus rex went extinct—NGC 5134 is fairly close by as far as galaxies go. Due to the galaxy’s relative proximity, Webb can spot incredible details in its tightly wound spiral arms.

Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) collects the mid-infrared light emitted by the warm dust that speckles NGC 5134’s interstellar clouds, tracing clumps and strands of dusty gas. Part of the dust is composed of complex organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, featuring interconnected rings of carbon atoms and provide a way for astronomers to study the chemistry happening in interstellar clouds. Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) records shorter-wavelength near-infrared light, mostly from the stars and star clusters that dot the galaxy’s spiral arms.

Together, the MIRI and NIRCam data paint a portrait of a galaxy in constant ebb and flow. The gas clouds that billow along NGC 5134’s spiral arms are the sites of star formation, and each star that forms chips away at the galaxy’s supply of star-forming gas. When stars die, they recycle part of that gas back into the galaxy. Massive stars more than about eight times the mass of the Sun do so spectacularly, in cataclysmic supernova explosions that spread stellar material across hundreds of light-years.

Stars like the Sun give back a portion of their material as well, though more gently; these stars will balloon into bubbling red giants before shrugging off their atmospheres and sending them into space. Whether expelled by explosive supernovae or gentle red giants, this gas can then be incorporated into new stars.

Credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy
Directed by: Bethany Downer and Nico Bartmann
Editing: Nico Bartmann
Written by: Bethany Downer
Footage and photos: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Feb. 20, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #NGC5134 #VirgoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: Nearby Spiral Galaxy NGC 5134 in Virgo | Webb Telescope

Close-up: Nearby Spiral Galaxy NGC 5134 in Virgo | Webb Telescope

Two powerful instruments of the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope joined forces to create this scenic galaxy view. This spiral galaxy is named NGC 5134, and it is located 65 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo.

Though 65 million light-years may seem like a huge distance—the light that Webb collected to create this image has been journeying to us from NGC 5134 since soon after Tyrannosaurus rex went extinct—NGC 5134 is fairly close by as far as galaxies go. Due to the galaxy’s relative proximity, Webb can spot incredible details in its tightly wound spiral arms.

Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) collects the mid-infrared light emitted by the warm dust that speckles NGC 5134’s interstellar clouds, tracing clumps and strands of dusty gas. Part of the dust is composed of complex organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, featuring interconnected rings of carbon atoms and provide a way for astronomers to study the chemistry happening in interstellar clouds. Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) records shorter-wavelength near-infrared light, mostly from the stars and star clusters that dot the galaxy’s spiral arms.

Together, the MIRI and NIRCam data paint a portrait of a galaxy in constant ebb and flow. The gas clouds that billow along NGC 5134’s spiral arms are the sites of star formation, and each star that forms chips away at the galaxy’s supply of star-forming gas. When stars die, they recycle part of that gas back into the galaxy. Massive stars more than about eight times the mass of the Sun do so spectacularly, in cataclysmic supernova explosions that spread stellar material across hundreds of light-years.

Stars like the Sun give back a portion of their material as well, though more gently; these stars will balloon into bubbling red giants before shrugging off their atmospheres and sending them into space. Whether expelled by explosive supernovae or gentle red giants, this gas can then be incorporated into new stars.

This give and take between gas and stars is the focus of the observing program (#3707). It aims to study 55 galaxies in the nearby Universe that are actively forming new stars and have been studied across a broad range of wavelengths. The new Webb data contribute a rich understanding of individual star clusters and star-forming clouds and have already been used to study the life cycle of tiny dust grains, the shape and properties of star-forming clouds, the links between interstellar gas and dust, and how newly formed stars reshape their surrounding environment.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy, seen tilted diagonally. It has a blue-white, glowing spot at its core. Its oval-shaped disc glows faintly blue throughout with light from its many stars. The disc is filled with waves and strands of bright red dust that swirl around the core. At places there are holes torn in the dust, while elsewhere it forms dense clumps that glow orange. Several tiny, distant galaxies appear across the background.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 20, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #NGC5134 #VirgoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Stellar Lifecycle in Nearby Spiral Galaxy NGC 5134 | Webb Telescope

The Stellar Lifecycle in Nearby Spiral Galaxy NGC 5134 | Webb Telescope

Two powerful instruments of the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope joined forces to create this scenic galaxy view. This spiral galaxy is named NGC 5134, and it is located 65 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo.

Though 65 million light-years may seem like a huge distance—the light that Webb collected to create this image has been journeying to us from NGC 5134 since soon after Tyrannosaurus rex went extinct—NGC 5134 is fairly close by as far as galaxies go. Due to the galaxy’s relative proximity, Webb can spot incredible details in its tightly wound spiral arms.

Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) collects the mid-infrared light emitted by the warm dust that speckles NGC 5134’s interstellar clouds, tracing clumps and strands of dusty gas. Part of the dust is composed of complex organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, featuring interconnected rings of carbon atoms and provide a way for astronomers to study the chemistry happening in interstellar clouds. Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) records shorter-wavelength near-infrared light, mostly from the stars and star clusters that dot the galaxy’s spiral arms.

Together, the MIRI and NIRCam data paint a portrait of a galaxy in constant ebb and flow. The gas clouds that billow along NGC 5134’s spiral arms are the sites of star formation, and each star that forms chips away at the galaxy’s supply of star-forming gas. When stars die, they recycle some of that gas back into the galaxy. Massive stars more than about eight times the mass of the Sun do so spectacularly, in cataclysmic supernova explosions that spread stellar material across hundreds of light-years.

Stars like the Sun give back a portion of their material as well, though more gently; these stars will balloon into bubbling red giants before shrugging off their atmospheres and sending them into space. Whether expelled by explosive supernovae or gentle red giants, this gas can then be incorporated into new stars.

This give and take between gas and stars is the focus of the observing program (#3707). It aims to study 55 galaxies in the nearby Universe that are actively forming new stars and have been studied across a broad range of wavelengths. The new Webb data contribute a rich understanding of individual star clusters and star-forming clouds and have already been used to study the life cycle of tiny dust grains, the shape and properties of star-forming clouds, the links between interstellar gas and dust, and how newly formed stars reshape their surrounding environment.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy, seen tilted diagonally. It has a blue-white, glowing spot at its core. Its oval-shaped disc glows faintly blue throughout with light from its many stars. The disc is filled with waves and strands of bright red dust that swirl around the core. At places there are holes torn in the dust, while elsewhere it forms dense clumps that glow orange. Several tiny, distant galaxies appear across the background.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy
Release Date: Feb. 20, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #NGC5134 #VirgoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education