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Circinus West Molecular Cloud: A Vast Stellar Nursery | Victor Blanco Telescope
A celestial shadow known as the Circinus West molecular cloud creeps across this image taken with the Department of Energy-fabricated 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera (DECam)—one of the most powerful digital cameras in the world. Within this stellar nursery's opaque boundaries, infant stars ignite from cold, dense gas and dust, while outflows hurtle leftover material into space. It is located about 2,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Circinus. It stretches 180 light-years across and boasts a mass 250,000 times that of the Sun.
This winding, shadowy form, accentuated by a densely-packed starry background, is the Circinus West molecular cloud—a region rich in gas and dust and known for its host of newly formed stars. Molecular Clouds, the cradles of star formation, are interstellar clouds that are so dense and cold that atoms within them bond with each other to form molecules. Circinus West, for example, is so dense that light cannot pass through, giving it a dark, mottled appearance, earning its designation as a dark nebula. The cloud’s flourishing population of young stars offers astronomers insight into the processes driving star formation and molecular cloud evolution.
Another signpost of star formation is the presence of Herbig-Haro (HH) objects. HH objects are glowing red patches of nebulosity commonly found near newborn stars. They form when fast-moving gas thrown out by stars smashes into slower-moving gas in the surrounding molecular cloud or interstellar medium. Visually scanning Circinus West will reveal countless HH objects.
DECam is mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab.
Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), D. de Martin & M. Kosari (NSF NOIRLab) Release Date: April 24, 2025
Shenzhou-20 Astronauts Welcomed by Shenzhou-19 Crew | China Space Station
Astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft were greeted by the Shenzhou-19 crew that they will be replacing, after successfully docking with China's Tiangong Space Station in orbit on Friday, April 25, 2025, to begin the handover of duties.
The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, with Commander Chen Dong and crew members Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie aboard, docked with the space station's core Tianhe module at 23:49 Thursday (Beijing Time).
At 01:17 Friday (Beijing Time), the Shenzhou-19 crew opened the hatch and greeted the new arrivals. The two teams took group photos and sent messages to ground staff, while the commanders of the two space missions exchanged greetings.
"On behalf of the Shenzhou-19 crew, I welcome all of you to the Chinese space station. Chen Dong and I previously conducted the Shenzhou-14 mission together. This time, we can work together on the space station again, I feel really happy and very lucky. Congratulations to Chen Dong on his return to the Chinese space station and to [Chen] Zhongrui and Wang Jie on fulfilling their space dream. Let's build our space home together in the coming days," said Cai Xuzhe, commander of the Shenzhou-19 crew.
"I feel very warm in my heart coming to our space home again. It feels like I'm back to the familiar scene where I carried out the Shenzhou-14 mission with Cai Xuzhe. And I also feel very warm seeing [Song] Lingdong and [Wang] Haoze again. [The distance between us] used to be as far as 400 kilometers, but today we are face to face. I'm very happy. We were launched on China Space Day to meet with you, so we are very lucky and proud. We will have a very short time together on the station, so let's cherish it and work hard together to complete the subsequent tasks well," said Chen Dong, commander of the Shenzhou-20 mission.
Space station newcomers in the Shenzhou-20 crew thanked their predecessors for their hard work over the past six months and said they were looking forward to the handover.
"I'm really happy that we are reunited again in Tiangong now. Your performance in all aspects has been excellent, and all the work you have done has been very successful and perfect. We will learn from you to maintain, operate and develop Tiangong well," said Chen Zhongrui, a Shenzhou-20 astronaut.
"You have been working and living in orbit for half a year, thanks for your hard efforts. Seeing that you have taken care of our space home so well, I give you a sincere thumbs up. In the next few days, let's do a good job in the handover together. We will quickly adjust our state, adapt to the work and life in space as soon as possible, and do our best to run our leg well," said Wang Jie, another member of the new crew.
The Shenzhou-19 crew members warmly welcomed the new arrivals, saying they had prepared them some food to restore their energy after the long journey in to space.
"Congratulations on coming to our own space station. You have worked so hard. We have prepared steaming hot dumplings for you so that you can replenish your energy and have a good rest. In the following days, let's work hard to learn from each other, communicate with each other, and complete the entire handover task together well," said Song Lingdong, a Shenzhou-19 astronaut.
"It's really exciting to see the three of you. With your arrival, our space station is bustling again. In the next few days, let's work and live well together, and hand in hand create a brilliant future together," said Wang Haoze, another member of the Shenzhou-19 mission.
"Building our dreams in Tiangong and continuing to work hard! China's space station is always worth looking forward to!" the six astronauts chorused, before sharing a group hug.
The six astronauts will live and work together for about five days to complete planned tasks and handover work, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The Shenzhou-20 manned spaceship blasted off atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket at 17:17 (Beijing Time) Thursday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
Video Credit: CCTV Duration: 3 minutes, 39 seconds Release Date: April 25, 2025
NASA's Space to Ground: Birthday Homecoming | Week of April 25, 2025
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft delivered 6,700 pounds of science and supplies to the orbital residents after docking to the Harmony module’s space-facing port at 8:40 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. McClain and Ayers are also getting ready for a May 1 spacewalk when they will prepare the station for a new rollout solar array and relocate an antenna that communicates with commercial vehicles.
Shenzhou-20 Astronauts Enter China's Tiangong Space Station, Meet Shenzhou-19
The three astronauts of China's Shenzhou-20 spaceflight mission on April 25, 2025, entered the Tiangong space station and met with the Shenzhou-19 mission crew on board, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover. The Shenzhou-20 spaceship, with Commander Chen Dong and crew members Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie aboard, docked with the space station's core Tianhe module at 23:49 Thursday (Beijing Time).
At 01:17 Friday (Beijing Time), the Shenzhou-19 crew opened the hatch and greeted the new arrivals. The two teams took group photos and sent messages to ground staff, while the commanders of the two space missions exchanged greetings.
"On behalf of the Shenzhou-19 crew, I welcome all of you to the Chinese space station. Chen Dong and I previously conducted the Shenzhou-14 mission together. This time, we can work together on the space station again, I feel really happy and very lucky. Congratulations to Chen Dong on his return to the Chinese space station and to [Chen] Zhongrui and Wang Jie on fulfilling their space dream. Let's build our space home together in the coming days," said Cai Xuzhe, commander of the Shenzhou-19 crew.
"I feel very warm in my heart coming to our space home again. It feels like I'm back to the familiar scene where I carried out the Shenzhou-14 mission with Cai Xuzhe. And I also feel very warm seeing [Song] Lingdong and [Wang] Haoze again. [The distance between us] used to be as far as 400 kilometers, but today we are face to face. I'm very happy. We were launched on China Space Day to meet with you, so we are very lucky and proud. We will have a very short time together on the station, so let's cherish it and work hard together to complete the subsequent tasks well," said Chen Dong, commander of the Shenzhou-20 mission.
Space station newcomers in the Shenzhou-20 crew thanked their predecessors for their hard work over the past six months and said they were looking forward to the handover.
China launched the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft on April 24, 2025, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 17:17 (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
Shenzhou-20 is the 35th flight mission of China's crewed space program, and the fifth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
The crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China in late October this year.
Video Credit: CCTV Duration: 1 minute, 15 seconds Release Date: April 24, 2025
Drone Show Celebrating China's Space Program at Shenzhou-20 Crew Launch Site
The evening before the launch of the Shenzhou-20 crewed mission to the China Space Station, a thousand drones illuminated the sky at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Against the backdrop of the night sky, "technology painted a brilliant starry river."
China launched the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft on April 24, 2025, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 17:17 (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The crew members are mission commander Chen Dong and crew members Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie. Wang Jie is the first astronaut from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region where this launch pad is located.
The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) was founded in 1958. It was the first of China's four spaceports. The launch center has been the focus of many of China's historic space ventures, including the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970 and their first crewed space mission, Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003. JSLC is now a home for many new Chinese commercial space launch firms, like Landspace.
Video Credit: CMSA/Xinhua Duration: 50 seconds Release Date: April 23, 2025
Shenzhou-20 Crewed Mission: Long March Rocket Liftoff | China Space Station
China launched the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 17:17 (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
About 10 minutes after the launch, the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members, consisting of mission commander Chen Dong and crew members Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, remained in good condition while the launch has been declared a complete success, the CMSA announced.
China's Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft successfully docked with the Tiangong Space Station later on Thursday. The spacecraft made a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the space station's core module Tianhe at 11:49 p.m. Beijing Time. The whole process took approximately 6.5 hours.
Shenzhou-20 is the 35th flight mission of China's manned space program, and the fifth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
The crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China in late October this year.
Artemis Human Moon Lander: 3D Printed Rocket Motor Test | NASA Marshall
Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, recently completed a test fire campaign of a 14-inch hybrid rocket motor. The rocket motor ignites using both solid fuel and a stream of gaseous oxygen to create a powerful stream of rocket exhaust. Data from the test campaign will help teams prepare for future flight conditions when commercial human landing systems, provided by SpaceX and Blue Origin, touch down on the Moon for crewed Artemis missions.
The hybrid motor was test fired 30 times to ensure it will reliably ignite in preparation for testing later this year at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. This video shows the 28th test, conducted in February 2025, during which the 3D-printed motor fired for six seconds.
The hybrid motor will be used for additional testing at NASA Langley this summer. There, engineers will fire the motor, developed at Utah State University in Logan, into a field of simulated lunar regolith in the center’s 60-ft spherical near-vacuum chamber to better characterize the crater created by the rocket exhaust and how regolith particles travel.
Close-up: Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 5335 in Virgo | Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope captured in exquisite detail a face-on view of a remarkable-looking galaxy 225 million light-years away. NGC 5335 is categorized as a flocculent spiral galaxy with patchy streamers of star formation across its disk. There is a striking lack of well-defined spiral arms that are commonly found among galaxies, including our Milky Way. A notable bar structure slices across the center of the galaxy. The bar channels gas inwards toward the galactic center, fueling star formation. Such bars are dynamic in galaxies and may come and go over two-billion-year intervals. They appear in about 30 percent of observed galaxies, including our Milky Way.
Image Description: Barred spiral galaxy NGC 5335 observed by the Hubble Space Telescope takes up the majority of the view. At its center is a milky yellow, flattened oval that extends bottom left to top. Within the oval is a bright central region that looks circular, with the very center the brightest. In the bright central region is what looks like a bar, extending from top left to bottom right. Around this is a thick swath of blue stars speckled with white regions. Multiple arms wrap up and around in a counterclockwise direction, becoming fainter the farther out they are. Both the white core and the spiral arms are intertwined with dark streaks of dust. The background of space is black. Thousands of distant galaxies in an array of colors are speckled throughout.
Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 5335 in Virgo | Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope captured in exquisite detail a face-on view of a remarkable-looking galaxy 225 million light-years away. NGC 5335 is categorized as a flocculent spiral galaxy with patchy streamers of star formation across its disk. There is a striking lack of well-defined spiral arms that are commonly found among galaxies, including our Milky Way. A notable bar structure slices across the center of the galaxy. The bar channels gas inwards toward the galactic center, fueling star formation. Such bars are dynamic in galaxies and may come and go over two-billion-year intervals. They appear in about 30 percent of observed galaxies, including our Milky Way.
Image Description: Barred spiral galaxy NGC 5335 observed by the Hubble Space Telescope takes up the majority of the view. At its center is a milky yellow, flattened oval that extends bottom left to top. Within the oval is a bright central region that looks circular, with the very center the brightest. In the bright central region is what looks like a bar, extending from top left to bottom right. Around this is a thick swath of blue stars speckled with white regions. Multiple arms wrap up and around in a counterclockwise direction, becoming fainter the farther out they are. Both the white core and the spiral arms are intertwined with dark streaks of dust. The background of space is black. Thousands of distant galaxies in an array of colors are speckled throughout.
Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI Release Date: April 23, 2025
After Docking, Shenzhou-20 & Shenzhou-19 Crews Meet | China Space Station
China's Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft successfully docked with the Tiangong Space Station on Thursday, April 24, 2025, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
The spacecraft made a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the space station's core module Tianhe at 11:49 p.m. Beijing Time. The whole process took approximately 6.5 hours.
The six crew members then took group pictures for the sixth space get-together in China's aerospace history.
China launched the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft on April 24, 2025, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 17:17 (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
Shenzhou-20 is the 35th flight mission of China's crewed space program, and the fifth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
The crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China in late October this year.
Soyuz MS-26 Crew Departure & Dragon Cargo Arrival | International Space Station
The Soyuz crew ships that each brought three crew members to the International Space Station are pictured docked to the orbital outpost. In the foreground, is the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft docked to the Rassvet module moments before it undocked and returned to Earth with NASA astronaut Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner after 220 days in space. In the rear, is the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft docked to the Prichal module after it launched on April 8, 2025, with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky beginning an eight-month space research mission.
The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft is pictured backing away from the International Space Station shortly after undocking from the Rassvet module.
The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft is pictured backing away from the International Space Station shortly after undocking from the Rassvet module.
The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft, with its nosecone open, approaches the International Space Station for an automated docking to the Harmony module's space-facing port.
The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft, with its nosecone open, approaches the International Space Station for an automated docking to the Harmony module's space-facing port.
At 5:57 p.m. EDT, on Saturday April 19, 2025, the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft undocked from the orbiting laboratory’s Rassvet module with NASA astronaut Don Petitt and Roscosmos cosmonauts Aleksey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner of Russia.
At 8:40 a.m. EDT, April 22, 2025, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft docked to the zenith, space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module.
The spacecraft carried about 6,700 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory on SpaceX’s 32nd commercial resupply services mission for NASA. The mission launched at 4:15 a.m. April 21 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center Image Dates: April 19 & 22, 2025
Shenzhou-20 Astronauts: Arrival at Launch Site | China Space Station
The three astronauts of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceflight mission can be seen arriving at the launch site at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China after a send-off ceremony on April 24, 2025, ready to board the spaceship for a flight to the Tiangong Space Station.
The three astronauts, Chen Dong who is the commander of the crew, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, were escorted by a squad of motorcyclists to the launch site and warmly greeted by crowds of people on both sides along the route.
China launched the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft on April 24, 2025, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 17:17 (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
They will complete an in-orbit handover with the Shenzhou-19 trio and stay at the Tiangong space station for approximately six months.
The Shenzhou-20 crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China in late October this year.
Shenzhou-20 is the 35th flight mission of China's manned space program and the fifth manned mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
Video Credit: CCTV Duration: 1 minute, 34 seconds Release Date: April 24, 2025
Hubble’s Highlights from its 35th Year in Orbit | NASA Goddard
The Hubble Space Telescope celebrated its 35th year in orbit by premiering four stunning new Hubble images.
From the planet Mars, to spectacular star forming regions, to a magnificent neighboring galaxy, these new images are the best birthday present anyone could ask for!
Even after all these years, Hubble continues to uncover the mysteries of the universe. These are a few science achievements from Hubble’s latest year in orbit.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Paul Morris: Lead Producer Video Credit: FU Orionis Disk Illustration from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory via Caltech/T. Pyle (IPAC)
Shenzhou-20 Crewed Mission: Long March Rocket Launch | China Space Station
China launched the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft on April 24, 2025, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 17:17 (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
About 10 minutes after the launch, the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members, consisting of mission commander Chen Dong and crew members Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, are in good condition while the launch has been declared a complete success, the CMSA announced.
Around 6.5 hours after the launch, the spacecraft will perform a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the space station core module Tianhe, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft.
Shenzhou-20 is the 35th flight mission of China's manned space program, and the fifth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
The crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China in late October this year.
Video Credit: CCTV Duration: 2 minutes, 20 seconds Release Date: April 24, 2025
Shenzhou-20 Crew Commander Speaks on Mission Goals | China Space Station
Veteran Chinese astronaut and Shenzhou-20 crew commander Chen Dong, preparing for his third voyage to space, shared his unwavering passion for and pride in the nation's space program, as he shared with the media that each mission is irreplaceable—a blend of honor, responsibility and the thrill of pushing boundaries.
Chen also emphasized the profound significance of contributing to China's space ambitions. He expressed high expectations for this mission, saying he got more familiar and proficient with each voyage, that, he added, will better help him be able to fully support the team.
China's Shenzhou-20 astronauts, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, met the press on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. The Shenzhou-20 crewed mission is currently scheduled for lift off at 5:17 p.m. Beijing Time on April 24—coinciding with China's Space Day in 2025.
The three astronauts will take over command of China's Tiangong Space Station from the Shenzhou-19 crew currently in orbit, and will spend about six months in space.
Chen Dong participated in the Shenzhou-11 and Shenzhou-14 space missions. He served as the commander of the Shenzhou-14 crew and will take on the mantle once again after a two-year interval. He will also become the first among China's second batch of astronauts to carry out three spaceflight missions.
Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie come from the third batch of astronauts and will embark on their first spaceflight mission. Before being selected, Chen Zhongrui was an air force pilot, while Wang Jie was an engineer at the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
Shenzhou-20 is the 35th flight mission of China's crewed space program, and the fifth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
The crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China in late October this year.
Credit: CGTN
Duration: 1 minute, 23 seconds Release Date: April 23, 2025
Shenzhou-20 Crew Photos & Profiles | China Space Station
Shenzhou-20 Crew: Chen Dong (Mission Commander), Chen Zhongrui (Mission Specialist) & Wang Jie (Mission Specialist)
Shenzhou-20 Mission Commander: Chen Dong
Shenzhou-20 Mission Specialist: Chen Zhongrui
Shenzhou-20 Mission Specialist: Wang Jie
China's Shenzhou-20 astronauts, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, met the press on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
The three astronauts will take over command of China's Tiangong Space Station from the Shenzhou-19 crew currently in orbit, and will spend about six months in space.
Chen Dong participated in the Shenzhou-11 and Shenzhou-14 space missions. He served as the commander of the Shenzhou-14 crew and will take on the mantle once again after a two-year interval. He will also become the first among China's second batch of astronauts to carry out three spaceflight missions.
Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie come from the third batch of astronauts and will embark on their first spaceflight mission. Before being selected, Chen Zhongrui was an air force pilot, while Wang Jie was an engineer at the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
Shenzhou-20 is the 35th flight mission of China's crewed space program, and the fifth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
The crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China in late October this year.
Journey to Planetary Nebula NGC 2899 in Vela | Hubble
This video takes the viewer through space to reveal a new NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope image that captures the beauty of the moth-like planetary nebula NGC 2899. This object has a diagonal, bipolar, cylindrical outflow of gas. This is propelled by radiation and stellar winds from a nearly 22,000 degree Celsius white dwarf at the center. In fact, there may be two companion stars that are interacting and sculpting the nebula, which is pinched in the middle by a fragmented ring or torus—looking like a half-eaten donut. It has a forest of gaseous “pillars” that point back to the source of radiation and stellar winds. The colors are from glowing hydrogen and oxygen. The nebula lies approximately 4,500 light-years away in the southern constellation Vela.
Image Description: The planetary nebula NGC 2899 is shaped like a single macaroni noodle with its edges pointed up, but its edge-on central torus is semi-transparent in the middle. The top and bottom edges are thick and orange. The center is semi-transparent blue and green. The wider central region looks roughly like a moth, also filled with semi-transparent blue and green. There are two pinpoint-like white stars with diffraction spikes toward the center. Immediately below them, slightly toward the right, is a smaller blue orb, a central star. The next layer of gas and dust is whiter, with thicker pillars that look like they are rising up at bottom center. The color fades into reds and purples, and then to orange.
Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)
Close-up: Planetary Nebula NGC 2899 in Vela | Hubble
This Hubble Space Telescope image captures the beauty of the moth-like planetary nebula NGC 2899. This object has a diagonal, bipolar, cylindrical outflow of gas. This is propelled by radiation and stellar winds from a nearly 22,000 degree Celsius white dwarf at the center. In fact, there may be two companion stars that are interacting and sculpting the nebula, which is pinched in the middle by a fragmented ring or torus—looking like a half-eaten donut. It has a forest of gaseous “pillars” that point back to the source of radiation and stellar winds. The colors are from glowing hydrogen and oxygen. The nebula lies approximately 4,500 light-years away in the southern constellation Vela.
Image Description: The planetary nebula NGC 2899 is shaped like a single macaroni noodle with its edges pointed up, but its edge-on central torus is semi-transparent in the middle. The top and bottom edges are thick and orange. The center is semi-transparent blue and green. The wider central region looks roughly like a moth, also filled with semi-transparent blue and green. There are two pinpoint-like white stars with diffraction spikes toward the center. Immediately below them, slightly toward the right, is a smaller blue orb, a central star. The next layer of gas and dust is whiter, with thicker pillars that look like they are rising up at bottom center. The color fades into reds and purples, and then to orange.
Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)
Planetary Nebula NGC 2899 in Vela | Hubble Space Telescope
This Hubble Space Telescope image captures the beauty of the moth-like planetary nebula NGC 2899. This object has a diagonal, bipolar, cylindrical outflow of gas. This is propelled by radiation and stellar winds from a nearly 22,000 degree Celsius white dwarf at the center. In fact, there may be two companion stars that are interacting and sculpting the nebula, which is pinched in the middle by a fragmented ring or torus—looking like a half-eaten donut. It has a forest of gaseous “pillars” that point back to the source of radiation and stellar winds. The colors are from glowing hydrogen and oxygen. The nebula lies approximately 4,500 light-years away in the southern constellation Vela.
Image Description: The planetary nebula NGC 2899 is shaped like a single macaroni noodle with its edges pointed up, but its edge-on central torus is semi-transparent in the middle. The top and bottom edges are thick and orange. The center is semi-transparent blue and green. The wider central region looks roughly like a moth, also filled with semi-transparent blue and green. There are two pinpoint-like white stars with diffraction spikes toward the center. Immediately below them, slightly toward the right, is a smaller blue orb, a central star. The next layer of gas and dust is whiter, with thicker pillars that look like they are rising up at bottom center. The color fades into reds and purples, and then to orange.
Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI Release Date: April 23, 2025
4 Brand New Hubble Images Released: Dr. Jennifer Wiseman | NASA Goddard
NASA is celebrating Hubble’s 35th birthday (1990-2025) with an assortment of breathtaking images recently taken by the space telescope!
Stretching from the planet Mars, to spectacular star forming regions, to a magnificent neighboring galaxy, Hubble never ceases to amaze with its views of the universe.
Sit back and relax as Hubble’s Senior Project Scientist, Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, takes you on a tour of all four of these incredible images.
Hubble Space Telescope Celebrates 35th Anniversary (1990-2025)
In celebration of the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope’s 35 years in Earth orbit, an assortment of compelling images have been released today that were recently taken by Hubble. This stretches from the planet Mars, to dramatic images of stellar birth, and death (top right), to a magnificent neighboring galaxy (bottom right). After over three decades of perusing the restless universe, Hubble remains a household word as the most well-recognized telescope in scientific history.
Mars: These are a combination of Hubble Space Telescope images of Mars taken from December 28th to 30th, 2024. At the midpoint of the observations, Mars was approximately 98 million kilometres from Earth. Thin water-ice clouds that are apparent in ultraviolet light give the Red Planet a frosty appearance. The icy northern polar cap was experiencing the start of Martian spring.
Planetary nebula NGC 2899: This object has a diagonal, bipolar, cylindrical outflow of gas. This is propelled by radiation and stellar winds from a nearly 22 000 degree Celsius white dwarf at the center. In fact, there may be two companion stars that are interacting and sculpting the nebula, which is pinched in the middle by a fragmented ring or torus – looking like a half-eaten donut. It has a forest of gaseous “pillars” that point back to the source of radiation and stellar winds. The colors are from glowing hydrogen and oxygen. The nebula lies approximately 4,500 light-years away in the southern constellation Vela.
Rosette Nebula: This is a Hubble Space Telescope photo of a small portion of the Rosette Nebula, a huge star-forming region spanning 100 light-years across and located 5,200 light-years away. Hubble zooms into a small portion of the nebula that is only 4 light-years across (the approximate distance between our Sun and the neighbouring Alpha Centauri star system.) Dark clouds of hydrogen gas laced with dust are silhouetted across the image. The clouds are being eroded and shaped by the seething radiation from the cluster of larger stars in the center of the nebula (NGC 2440). An embedded star seen at the tip of a dark cloud in the upper right portion of the image is launching jets of plasma that are crashing into the cold cloud around it. The resulting shock wave is causing a red glow. The colors come from the presence of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 5335: This object is categorized as a flocculent spiral galaxy with patchy streamers of star formation across its disk. There is a striking lack of well-defined spiral arms that are commonly found among galaxies, including our Milky Way. A notable bar structure slices across the center of the galaxy. The bar channels gas inwards toward the galactic center, fueling star formation. Such bars are dynamic in galaxies and may come and go over two-billion-year intervals. They appear in about 30 percent of observed galaxies, including our Milky Way.
Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble) Duration: 2 minutes Release Date: April 23, 2025
Shenzhou-20 Astronauts Meet the Press | China Space Station
China's Shenzhou-20 astronauts, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, met the press on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. The Shenzhou-20 crewed mission is currently scheduled for lift off at 5:17 p.m. Beijing Time on April 24—coinciding with China's Space Day in 2025.
The three astronauts will take over command of China's Tiangong Space Station from the Shenzhou-19 crew currently in orbit, and will spend about six months in space.
Chen Dong participated in the Shenzhou-11 and Shenzhou-14 space missions. He served as the commander of the Shenzhou-14 crew and will take on the mantle once again after a two-year interval. He will also become the first among China's second batch of astronauts to carry out three spaceflight missions.
Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie come from the third batch of astronauts and will embark on their first spaceflight mission. Before being selected, Chen Zhongrui was an air force pilot, while Wang Jie was an engineer at the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Shenzhou-20 is the 35th flight mission of China's manned space program, and the fifth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
The crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China in late October this year.
Video Credit: CGTN Duration: 4 minutes Release Date: April 23, 2025
Intuitive Machines: This image from the IM-2 Mission lunar lander, Athena is "from our last visit to the Moon. Today, we celebrate the planet that keeps pushing us to dream bigger and do more—here and beyond!"
On March 6, 2025, the IM-2 Mission lunar lander, Athena, landed in the Mons Mouton region of the lunar south pole.
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