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Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)

Resources

Comet

Comets February 19, 2016

Craters and Extinctions February 19, 2016

Mars' Moons February 19, 2016

Saturn's Moons February 19, 2016

Neptune's Triton February 19, 2016

Ongoing Explorations March 3, 2014
Virgo, the virgin

Virgo October 4, 2011
Aquarius

Aquarius October 4, 2011
Cancer, the Crab

Cancer, the Crab October 4, 2011
Libra, the Scales

Libra, the Scales October 4, 2011
Pisces, the fish

Pisces, the Fish October 4, 2011
Aries, the ram

Aries, the Ram October 4, 2011

The Solar System: Home Sweet Home August 12, 2010

Astronomical Firsts June 10, 2010

Facts and Figures June 10, 2010

Remnants from the Beginning June 10, 2010

Realm of the Giants June 10, 2010

Exploring Our Own Back Yard June 10, 2010
Orion, the Hunter

Orion, the Hunter May 25, 2010
Gemini, the Twins

Gemini, the Twins May 25, 2010
Canis Major, the Great Dog

Canis Major, the Great Dog May 25, 2010
Auriga, the Charioteer

Auriga, the Charioteer May 25, 2010
Cassiopeia, the Queen

Cassiopeia, the Queen May 25, 2010
Capricornus, the Sea-Goat

Capricornus, the Sea-Goat May 25, 2010
Scorpius, the Scorpion

Scorpius, the Scorpion May 25, 2010
Lyra, the Harp

Lyra, the Harp May 25, 2010
Cygnus, the Swan

Cygnus, the Swan May 25, 2010
Aquila, the Eagle

Aquila, the Eagle May 25, 2010
Boötes

Boötes, the Herdsman May 25, 2010

Energy: Tools of the Trade May 21, 2010
Tiny variations in the "afterglow" of the Big Bang are shown as different colors

Age of the Universe May 21, 2010

Galaxies Fade May 21, 2010
Close up of Andromeda galaxy.

The Local Group May 21, 2010
The Sun and our solar system lie in the "thin disk" of our galaxy.

The Milky Way May 21, 2010
What looks like the glowing eyes of an angry cybernetic owl in this Hubble Space

Galaxy Formation May 21, 2010

Types of Galaxies May 21, 2010
Nurseries of bright young stars glow red in this detailed image.

Galaxies: Cities of Stars May 21, 2010
Artist's concept of a possible Neptune-mass planet orbiting Rho 1 Cancri.

Finding Earth-Like Planets May 21, 2010
An artist's concept of a giant planet orbiting a star other than the Sun.

Signs of Life May 21, 2010
Rings encircle a young planet in this artist's concept.

Exoplanets May 21, 2010

Black Holes May 21, 2010

Exploding Stars May 21, 2010
The diagram shows the largest and smallest stars to scale.

Colorful Dwarfs May 21, 2010
Sun cutaway

Star Color and Energy May 21, 2010

Cosmic Beacons May 21, 2010

Publicly Accessible Telescope Viewing May 14, 2010

Explorations in 2009 January 7, 2009

Explorations of Minor Bodies July 7, 2008

Explorations of Outer Planets July 7, 2008

Explorations of the Inner Solar System July 7, 2008

Radio Programs

Mars on Earth Getting ready for Mars February 27, 2016

More Plutonium Powering up trips to deep space February 25, 2016

Moon and Regulus Marking the rhythms of the sky February 21, 2016

Pollux Mapping out a nearby star February 20, 2016

New Names New names for a family of planets February 19, 2016

Moon and Aldebaran A stellar alphabet February 15, 2016

Planetary Pebbles Ingredients for a giant planet February 14, 2016

Horsehead Nebula Destroying a dark horsehead February 13, 2016

Interferometry V Looking at giant black holes February 12, 2016

Interferometry IV A whole passel of telescopes February 11, 2016

Interferometry III Adding up the telescopes February 10, 2016

Interferometry II Sharpening the view of the stars February 9, 2016

Interferometry Taking the measure of a giant February 8, 2016

Faint Neighbors Two close but faint neighbors February 7, 2016

Lepus Bounding past the hunter’s feet February 6, 2016

Luna 9 The first soft landing on the Moon February 3, 2016

Moon and Saturn Scoping out a giant ring February 2, 2016

Moon and Mars Breaking up a small moon January 31, 2016

Moon and Companions Stirring up two Martian moons January 30, 2016

IC 1396 A busy stellar nursery January 28, 2016

Winter Milky Way Adding to the winter Milky Way January 27, 2016

Moon and Regulus A stellar “king” and his entourage January 25, 2016

Auriga The charioteer’s bright shoulders January 24, 2016

Procyon The revenge of the scrawny January 23, 2016

Big Dipper Clock Ticking off the hours of the night January 22, 2016

Comet Doom Debating the end of life on Earth January 21, 2016

Doomed Comets Tracking doomed comets — after this. January 20, 2016

Stardust Catching bits of stardust January 15, 2016

Caroline’s Cluster A surprising star cluster January 14, 2016

Aludra The showiest “dog” star of all January 13, 2016

The Dog’s Tail The big dog wags its tail — after this. January 12, 2016

Bigger and Hotter Jacking up a star’s brightness — after this. January 11, 2016

Sirius Two dogs that are moving apart — after this. January 10, 2016

Featured Images

Planetary nebula known as the Eskimo Nebula

Cyclops? November 29, 2015
Hubble view of galaxy Markarian 231

Double Double November 22, 2015
Hubble view of the Eta Carinae system

The Homunculus October 21, 2015
Cassini view of north polar region of Enceladus

Headin' North October 15, 2015
Global view of Charon, Pluto's largest moon

Red Roof Moon October 2, 2015
Comet ISON has disintegrated

Comet Fizzles? September 14, 2015
Comet ISON streaks ever-closer to the Sun in this November 19 image

Breaking Up? September 14, 2015
Artist's concept of a young Jupiter-like planet

Young Giant August 27, 2015
Two views of Messier 22

Stellar Sparkler August 24, 2015
August 17, 2015, view of Saturn's moon Dione in front of the giant planet

Last Visit August 18, 2015
Multi-wavelength view of the center of the Milky Way galaxy

Galactic Hub August 13, 2015
The Southern Owl Nebula, the last gasp of a dying star

Perfect Bubble August 5, 2015
Hubble Space Telescope image of the Lagoon Nebula

Colorful Lagoon July 31, 2015
Abell 78, a planetary nebula

Last Round July 28, 2015
The system V664 Cassiopeia is creating a planetary nebula

Bread Crumbs July 23, 2015
Artist's concept of Fermi bubbles

Blowing Bubbles July 20, 2015
July 8 view of Charon, Pluto from New Horizons

Dynamic Duo July 10, 2015
Artist's concept of New Horizons passing by Pluto

First Encounter July 9, 2015
Diagram shows the location of the Kuiper Belt

Icy Realm July 6, 2015
Cassini view of a giant storm in Saturn's northern hemisphere

Stormy Skies June 28, 2015
Two views of Saturn's moon Dione from Cassini

Near and Far June 18, 2015
Artist's concept of a moons orbiting a Jupiter-like exoplanet

Worlds of Worlds June 9, 2015

Stepping Out June 3, 2015
Artist's concept of Alpha Centauri A and B, plus a planet

Busy Neighbor May 25, 2015

Ringfest May 20, 2015
The constellation Corvus, near brilliant Spica

Sailing On May 17, 2015
Hubble Space Telescope view of the core of M13, a globular cluster in Hercules

Old Sparklers May 12, 2015
Artist's concept of Scholz's Star passing close to the solar system

Former Neighbor May 7, 2015
The Messenger spacecraft's final image of the surface of Mercury

The End April 30, 2015
Hubble Space Telescope image of a young star cluster

Anniversary Portrait April 23, 2015
Dawn images of north pole of Ceres

Over the Top April 17, 2015
Hubble Space Telescope image of spiral galaxy Messier 66

Evidence of an Encounter April 12, 2015
Infrared view of the interstellar medium

Filling the Void April 9, 2015
Cassini view of Saturn's family of gings

Family Portrait April 7, 2015
Rosetta view of Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko on March 22, 2015

Messy Comet April 2, 2015
G2 survives its swing around the black hole at the center of the Milky Way

Narrow Escape March 27, 2015
M3, a globular star cluster

Reborn Stars March 17, 2015
Artist's concept of MY Camelopardalis, a contact binary star system

Close Twins March 15, 2015
Image of a powerful solar flare on March 11, 2015

Solar Flare March 12, 2015
Hubble Space Telescope view of Abell 2744, a massive galaxy cluster

On the Frontier March 9, 2015
A full rotation of Ceres as seen by the Dawn mission

Final Approach March 3, 2015
Dawn image of mysterious bright spots on Ceres, February 19, 2015

Bright Mysteries February 26, 2015
Canopus, the second-brightest star in the night sky, from the space station

Stellar Beacon February 24, 2015
The Milky Way galaxy's spiral arms

Arming the Milky Way February 18, 2015
Hubble Space Telescope view of V838 Monocerotis in 2006

Brilliant Echo February 11, 2015
Depiction of National Ignition Facility probing the interior of a giant planet

Into Darkness February 2, 2015
Hubble image of the aftermath of a galactic collisio

Beautiful Disruption January 30, 2015
Dawn image of Ceres, January 25, 2015

Getting Closer January 28, 2015
View of the underground Soudan Laboratory

Underground Astronomy January 26, 2015
A brilliant aurora from the International Space Station

Fiery Sky January 21, 2015
The Huygens probe arrives at Titan in 2005

Cold Landing January 14, 2015
Gemini Observatory image of VV 166 galaxy group

Galaxies Galore January 11, 2015
Three dwarf planets shown to scale with Earth and Moon

Dwarf Planets January 5, 2015

Lunar Giant December 30, 2014
Rigel, the brightest star of Orion

Stellar Stunner December 22, 2014
The Andromeda galaxy, M31

Old News December 20, 2014
Cassini close-up of Saturn's clouds

Impressions of a Planet December 18, 2014
Earliest sunsets in December

Early Sunsets December 15, 2014
Possible origin of the Ocean of Storms

Cracks in the Moon December 11, 2014
Superflare on one of the stars of DG Canum Venaticorum

Tiny Star, Big Outburst December 3, 2014
Hubble Space Telescope view of Tadpole Galaxy

Galactic Tadpole November 27, 2014

Double Dribble November 20, 2014
COBE view of the cosmic microwave background

Afterglow November 18, 2014
Sunlight glints off a hydrocarbon lake on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn

World of Lakes November 11, 2014
Cassini view of a crescent Titan, largest moon of Saturn

Hazy Skies November 9, 2014
View of a newly forming planetary system around the young star HL Tauri

Planet Tracks November 6, 2014
Messenger view of the surface of Mercury

Getting Closer October 30, 2014
Artist's concept of Comet Siding Spring approaching Mars

Martian Encounter October 16, 2014
October 7 view of Rosetta spacecraft and its target comet

Neighbors October 14, 2014
Elephant Trunk Nebulan

Elephant's Trunk October 12, 2014
Fomalhaut in early October

Lonely Star October 1, 2014
Possible image of a moon being born in Saturn's rings

New Moon Rising? September 27, 2014

Through the Glow September 16, 2014
Hubble image of star cluster M15

Old Family September 11, 2014
September 9, 2014, view of Curiosity rover's surroundings on Mars

Going Strong September 9, 2014
View of Saturn's rings from Cassini

Clearing the Gaps August 31, 2014
Cat's Eye Nebula from Hubble Space Telescope

Colorful Demise August 29, 2014
NGC 1398, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Fornax

Strangely Familiar August 23, 2014

Jetting Across the Universe August 12, 2014
August 6, 2014, view of Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko by Rosetta

Getting Closer August 7, 2014
August 3, 2014, image of Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Rosetta

Arrival August 6, 2014
Giant impact craters on Saturn's moons Mimas and Tethys

Survivors August 4, 2014
Ranger 7 images of the Moon, July 31, 1964

Success at Last July 31, 2014
Artist's concept of hot gas funneling toward black hole at center of Milky Way

Dark Center July 29, 2014
A view of the busy Milky Way

Busy Galaxy July 24, 2014
Diagram comparing sizes of Sun, Aldebaran

Giant Eye July 21, 2014
Artist's concept of comet impact on Jupiter

Strike One! July 16, 2014
Magellanic clouds above the ALMA radio telescope array

Cloudy Neighbors July 14, 2014
False-color image of M27, the Dumbbell Nebula

Last Gasp July 12, 2014

Fading Away June 29, 2014
Infrared view of Serpens South star cluster and nebula

Unmasking Hidden Stars June 24, 2014
Hubble Space Telescope view of Eta Carinae

Future Fireworks June 16, 2014
Three solar flares in early June 2014

Solar Fireworks June 12, 2014
Cassini spacecraft passes Titan

A Decade at Saturn June 10, 2014
Combined visible, X-ray image of M51, the whirlpool galaxy

Colorful Whirlpool June 4, 2014
M44, the Beehive Cluster

Vanishing Beehive June 2, 2014
NGC 3590

Young and Future Stars May 22, 2014
Otto Struve, first director of McDonald Observatory

First Director May 8, 2014
Autographs from the dedication of McDonald Observatory

Who's Who May 7, 2014
Construction of McDonald Observatory's 82-inch telescope, ca. 1934

Celebrating May 6, 2014
Participants in the McDonald Observatory dedication, May 5, 1939

Getting Started May 5, 2014
Artist's concept of water vapor around Ceres; HST image of Ceres

Watery Dwarf May 2, 2014
Diagram showing the layouts of several exoplanet systems

Going Farther April 30, 2014
Artist's concept of a range of recently discovered exoplanets

Planet Hunting April 28, 2014
HST image of thousands of galaxies

Galaxies Galore April 17, 2014
Cassini image of a possible satellite growing in the outer regions of Saturn's r

Giving Birth? April 15, 2014
Black-widow pulsar

Doomed Mate April 10, 2014
Artist's concept of a solar sail

Sailing Along April 3, 2014
WISE view of the Vela Nebula in Cygnus

Glowing Civilizations? April 1, 2014
Mariner 10 at Mercury

First Encounter March 29, 2014
The Milky Way glows above the Nevada desert

Dig Site March 24, 2014
The Condor galaxy

Night of the Condor March 15, 2014
A rare yellow hypergiant star in Centaurus

Jolly Yellow Giant March 13, 2014
Artist's concept of a double sunset on exoplanet Kepler 16

Double Sunset March 5, 2014
Artist's concept of exoplanet system KOI-961, discovered by Kepler spacecraft

Worlds Galore March 3, 2014
Space-based infrared view of the Rosette Nebula

Ruffled Rose February 28, 2014
NGC 2264, a stellar nursery in Monoceros

Star Factory February 26, 2014

Downhill Racer February 22, 2014
Diagram of Orion, the hunter

Orion's Belt February 16, 2014
Fresh Martian impact crater seen by an orbiting spacecraft in late 2013

Fresh Impact February 7, 2014
A discharge of energy from the Z Machine at Sandia National Laboratories

Zapped! February 3, 2014
Close-up view of the California Nebula in infrared light.

California Nebula January 25, 2014
Close-up Hubble Space Telescope view of the Orion Nebula

Beautiful Birthplace January 23, 2014
Artist's concept of Rosetta contacting Earth

Back to Work January 20, 2014
Artist's concept of black hole binary star system in the galaxy M101

Brilliant Darkness January 16, 2014
Hubble Space Telescope view of M83 galaxy

Glowing Pinwheel January 10, 2014
Artist's concept of weather on a brown dwarf

Hot Rain January 8, 2014
A giant asteroid slams into Earth, leading to global extinctions

Impact! January 6, 2014
Artist's concept of a Mars Exploration Rover landing on Mars in 2004

Follow the Bouncing Rover January 4, 2014
An early view of the primary mirror of McDonald Observatory's first telescope

Seeing the Light December 31, 2013
Three views of Comet Kohoutek

Comet Flop December 26, 2013
Gold may have been created in the mergers of neutron stars

Golden Mergers December 23, 2013
RS Puppis, a supergiant star seen by Hubble Space Telescope

Dusty Skies December 18, 2013
China's Yutu rover on the Moon in an artist's concept

Lunar Returns December 14, 2013
Space station view of Comet ISON and other celestial objects

Doomed Comet December 4, 2013
A Cassini view of the hexagonal cloud pattern surround Saturn's south pole

Planetary Cyclops December 1, 2013
View of Comets ISON and Encke from a Sun-watching spacecraft

Sizzling Comets November 27, 2013
The life and times of William Herschel

Stellar Musician November 14, 2013
Telescopes at the south pole

Antarctic Adventures November 13, 2013
Telescopic view of M33, the Triangulum Galaxy

Pirouetting Octopus November 10, 2013
Artist's concept of extrasolar planet Kepler 78b, an Earth-sized world

Hot Rock October 31, 2013
The Planck space telescope and its view of the cosmic microwave background

Going Dark October 24, 2013
Hubble Space Telescope view of Comet ISON in October 2013

Getting Closer October 18, 2013
Hubble Space Telescope images of the Fomalhaut star system

Giant Planet of Mystery October 15, 2013
Rio Tinto, a river in Spain, is a Mars analog

Red River October 9, 2013
Magellan view of the giant Sapas Mons volcano on Venus

Venusian Vulcanism October 7, 2013
The Cat's Paw Nebula in submillimeter and near-infrared light

Star Maker September 27, 2013
Dumbbell Nebula, M27

Grand Finale September 24, 2013
Galileo enters Jupiter's atmosphere

Fiery Farewell September 21, 2013
Lightning behind space shuttle Discovery

Just Whistle September 19, 2013
Artist's concept of Spitzer Space Telescope

Heat Seeker August 23, 2013
The star Gamma Cas blows away gas from a nearby nebula

Star Blaster August 18, 2013
Artist's concept of planet HAT-P7b

Hot Spot August 16, 2013
Cassini view of the cracked crust of Saturn's moon Dione

Cracked Up August 12, 2013
Space-faring spider Arabella spins her first web in orbit, 1973

Spiders in Space July 29, 2013
Diagram shows Neptune and some of its moons, including one discovered in 2013

Second-Look Moon July 22, 2013
Artist's concept of a blue exoplanet

Blue-Hot Planet July 13, 2013
View of the 30 Doradus star cluster and the massive binary system R144

Megastars July 9, 2013
Visible light (left) and infrared view of the dark molecular cloud Barnard 68

Looking into the Darkness July 7, 2013
Hubble Space Telescope view of Comet ISON, May 2013

Closing In July 2, 2013
Ultraviolet view of spiral galaxy NGC 6744 from the GALEX spacecraft

End of the Line June 29, 2013
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer aboard the International Space Station

Magnetic Personality June 26, 2013
Sunset from the International Space Station

Eyes on High June 24, 2013
Clouds above the south pole of Titan

Titanic Vortex June 19, 2013
MESSENGER view of crater Degas on Mercury

Painting a Planet June 17, 2013
Dusty Vega system

Dust Trap June 14, 2013
Starbirth region on the edge of the Milky Way galaxy

Starbirth June 6, 2013
Images of solar telescopes around the world

Fanciful Eyes June 3, 2013
Hubble Space Telescope image of M101

Stellar Pinwheel May 31, 2013
Ligeia Mare, one of the largest lakes on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn

Storms Ahead? May 22, 2013
Combined visual and millimeter-wave view of Orion Nebula, M42

Cold Fire May 16, 2013
Skylab in orbit

First Space Station May 14, 2013
The powerful quasar SDSS J1106

Phenomenal Cosmic Power May 10, 2013
Hubble Space Telescope, May 2009

Recalibrating May 6, 2013
Cassini view of Saturn's north pole

Eye of the Storm May 2, 2013
Hubble Space Telescope image of Comet ISON, April 2013

Closing In April 24, 2013
Artist's depiction of planet orbiting Alpha Centauri B

Close Neighbor April 21, 2013
Hubble view of Coma Cluster of galaxies

Crowning Glory April 19, 2013
The Antennae galaxies

Getting Together April 16, 2013
Infrared view of Betelgeuse

Messy Star April 12, 2013
Lunar Orbiter view of Aristarchus crater

Bright Crater March 28, 2013
X-ray view of a gamma-ray burst

Zapping Earth March 26, 2013
Artist's concept of a neutron star's crust cracking

Cracking Up March 22, 2013
Curiosity rover view of Mount Sharp, March 2013

Sharp Destination March 19, 2013
Comet C/2011 L4 Panstarrs in the western evening sky in March

Sneaky Comet March 10, 2013
A black hole is created in the Large Hadron Collider, then quickly evaporates

Making a Black Hole February 26, 2013
Self-portrait of Curiosity rover on Mars, February 2013

Self-Portrait February 18, 2013
Artist's concept of a distant quasar

Fiery Galaxy February 5, 2013
Close-up of the core of M31

M31 Blues January 29, 2013
Visible- and infrared-light views of Orion

Double Vision January 25, 2013
Star forming region in Orion

Hiding Places January 23, 2013
High-resolution view of Phobos, moon of Mars

Doomed Moon January 13, 2013
Gemini Observatory view of outskirts of Orion Nebula

Knotheads January 10, 2013
Combined optical and X-ray view of two possible black holes in the galaxy IC 342

On the Job January 8, 2013
Hubble Space Telescope view of globular cluster M2

Stars Galore January 6, 2013
Comet McNaught, 2007

Bright Interlopers January 2, 2013
Soyuz spacecraft approaches space station with Moon in background

Ready for Arrival December 31, 2012
Cassini images of Dione, Rhea

Saturnian Two-Fer December 27, 2012
Van Allen Probes and Earth's Van Allen radiation belts

Dangerous Exposure December 20, 2012
Artist's concept of Mariner 2 flying past Venus, December 14, 1962

First Encounter December 13, 2012
Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan drives his lunar rover

End of the Road December 10, 2012
Hubble image of an edge-on galaxy, ESO 318-13

All that Glitters December 4, 2012
Curiosity view of Rocknest on Mars

Rocky Home November 29, 2012
Orion, Jupiter, and other sights in late November

Orion Rising November 26, 2012
Cassini view of a crescent Titan

Enigmatic Moon November 19, 2012
Multispectral view of giant star-forming regions at the center of the Milky Way

Molecule Factory November 13, 2012
South polar vortex on Saturn, seen by Cassini

Saturnian Vortex November 11, 2012
HESS telescopes in Namibia, which study the gamma-ray universe

Extreme Telescope November 8, 2012
Nighttime view of the southeastern U.S. from the International Space Station

Blue Night November 5, 2012
Infrared/ultraviolet view of Helix Nebula

Colorful Demise October 23, 2012
Planetary nebula R Leporis

Stellar Twister October 11, 2012
The nearby starburst galaxy IC 10

Active Neighbor October 8, 2012
The 'lucky' stars of Aquarius

'Lucky' Stars October 6, 2012
Portion of Hubble Extreme Deep Field

Extreme Astronomy September 25, 2012
Infrared image of the star Fomalhaut (center) and surround debris ring

Messy Building Zone September 18, 2012
Andromeda and the Milky Way head for a galactic pile-up

Collision Course September 12, 2012
Hubble image of a pair of galaxies

Bright Companions September 7, 2012
Artist's concept of the Gamma Cephei star system

Stellar Geometry September 4, 2012
A Voyager spacecraft and the cover of a record of Earth sights and sounds

Words From Home August 20, 2012
Illustration depicts the contact binary system W Ursae Majoris

Two-for-One Offer August 15, 2012
Early view of the rim of Gale Crater

Inside the Wall August 12, 2012
Mars Science Laboratory heatshield falls away

Martian Litter August 10, 2012
August 8, 2012, view of Mars from the Curiosity rover

Getting Acquainted August 8, 2012
Composite view of Curiosity rover landing and operating on Mars

Drop In, Stay Awhile August 6, 2012
Skycrane lowers Mars Science Laboratory to the Martian surface

Rube Goldberg Meets Mars August 5, 2012
Artist's concept of Mars Science Laboratory approaching the Red Planet

Final Approach August 3, 2012
The Lagoon Nebula, M8, from the European Southern Observatory

Pink Lagoon July 26, 2012
Current and future pole stars

Moving On July 23, 2012
Alexandria, Egypt, as seen from the International Space Station

City of Power July 20, 2012
False-color view of Comet Swift-Tuttle, 1992

Swift Comet July 16, 2012
Altair is one of the three planets of the Summer Triangle

Flying Eagle July 12, 2012
H-R Diagram

Stellar Plot July 7, 2012
Hubble Space Telescope view of M104, the Sombrero Galaxy

Galactic Hat Dance July 2, 2012
A flare on the surface of the star HD 189733 blasts away the atmosphere of an or

Zapped! June 29, 2012
The remnants of two merged galaxies

Fast Exit June 18, 2012
Infrared image of the Carina Nebula from space-based Herschel Observatory

Busy Nursery June 6, 2012
Hubble Space Telescope view of galaxy ESO 243-49

Little Giant May 29, 2012
A long-exposure view of Earth and the stars from the International Space Station

Around and Around We Go May 26, 2012
Hercules, the strongman, depicted as he rises in the eastern sky

The Strongman May 22, 2012

Star Stream May 15, 2012
Simulation of a supermassive black hole disrupting a star

Messy Meal May 4, 2012
Beams of light shine through the Egg Nebula

Stellar Headlights May 1, 2012
Combined X-ray, optical, and radio view of the galaxy Centaurus A

Busy Galaxy April 29, 2012
Two views of Saturn's outermost ring

Wiggly Ring April 26, 2012
Apollo 16 lunar module, Orion, on the Moon's Plains of Descartes

Almost Home April 21, 2012
Space shuttle Discovery flies above Washington, DC, April 17, 2012

Last Stop April 19, 2012
Saturn's battered moon Tethys seen by the Cassini Spacecraft, April 14, 2012

Wrinkly Moon April 17, 2012
Victor Hess prepares to ascend in a balloon to study cosmic rays, 1912

Radiation Hunter April 7, 2012
Artist's concept of the Kepler-35 system, with a giant planet orbiting two stars

Seeing Double April 4, 2012
Artist's concept of stars and a gas cloud near the Milky Way's central black hol

Snack Time March 29, 2012
Omega Centauri, the possible core of a defunct galaxy

Invader! March 23, 2012
Space-based infrared view of the Large Magellanic Cloud

Busy Neighbor March 20, 2012
Optical and X-ray image of the galaxy cluster Abell 383

Brilliant Darkness March 16, 2012
A powerful solar flare erupts on March 6, 2012

Stormy Skies March 8, 2012
The Moon passes by Mars and the star pattern of Leo, March 2012

Doubly Brilliant March 6, 2012
Voyager mission enhanced-color image of Jupiter's Great Red Spot

Planetary Impressionism February 26, 2012
Sirius B, the white-dwarf companion to Sirius, compared to the size of Earth

Stellar Afterlife February 1, 2012
A January 23, 2012 solar flare

Restless Sun January 30, 2012
Endeavour Crater, winter home of the Opportunity Mars rover

Winter Wonderland January 26, 2012
Earth's atmosphere distorts the Moon as seen from the International Space Statio

Squashed Moon January 17, 2012
Infrared view of starbirth in the vast nebula complex Cygnus X

Busy Nursery January 13, 2012
Artist's concept of the pulsar and planets in the system PSR B1257+12

Second-Chance Planets January 8, 2012
Artist's concept of GRAIL spacecraft measuring the Moon's gravitational field

Lunar Arrival December 30, 2011
Saturn's moons Titan and Dione above Saturn, with Saturn's rings

Saturnian Traffic Jam December 26, 2011
View of Comet Lovejoy from the International Space Station

Christmas Comet December 23, 2011
Horsehead Nebula photographed through a McDonald Observatory telescope

3D Horsehead December 20, 2011
A comet plunges toward the Sun

Survivor: Comet December 16, 2011

Galactic Swirl December 14, 2011
Plumes of gas spew into space from the roiling surface of Betelgeuse, the bright

Stellar Timebomb December 1, 2011
Ultraviolet view of Venusian clouds from Venus Express orbiter

Cloudy Skies November 26, 2011
Artist's concept of Curiosity rover on Mars

Ready to Roll November 23, 2011
Optical and radio image of the Carina Nebula, a vast stellar nursery

Birthplace of the Stars November 17, 2011
The Russian Phobos-Grunt Mars mission launches on November 8, 2011

Phobos Flop? November 11, 2011
The glow of the aurora from the International Space Station

Heavenly Lightshow November 6, 2011
The moon Phobos floats above Mars

Martian Target November 3, 2011
Galileo view of Gaspra, the first asteroid visited by a spacecraft

First Encounter October 29, 2011
An artist's concept of the darkest planet yet discovered

Dark World October 27, 2011
Cassini view of Saturn's moon Enceladus in front of the planet's rings

Saturnian Encounter October 25, 2011
Two globular clusters; a previously known one at right, and a new one in circle

Star City October 19, 2011
An aquanaut practices space exploration techniques underwater

Diving into the Future October 17, 2011
Artist's concept of a starship

To Boldly Go... October 1, 2011
IC 2944, a stellar nursery in the constellation Centaurus

Seeing Red September 22, 2011
Artist's concept of global ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa

Water World September 16, 2011
A thick torus of dust encircles a quasar

Water Works September 13, 2011
2011 image of the Apollo 12 landing site, from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Still Standing September 9, 2011
Map of the Moon's gravitational field

Lunar Lumpiness September 6, 2011
Composite view of a giant storm on Saturn from the Cassini spacecraft

Stormy Skies August 31, 2011
The star cluster M7

Aging Family August 28, 2011
NGC 4438 and NGC 4435, galaxies in Virgo

Beautiful Eyes August 25, 2011
Voyager 2 view of the Adams Ring at Neptune

Pulverized Moon August 22, 2011
Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin is home to the world's largest refractor

Still Going August 18, 2011
The Necklace Nebula, the remains of a dying star in Sagittarius

Ring of Fire August 15, 2011
Panoramic view of Endeavour crater on Mars, imaged by the Opportunity rover

Final Destination August 11, 2011
Possible rivulets of water flowing on Mars

Drippy Planet August 8, 2011
International Space Station viewed from space shuttle Atlantis, July 19, 2011

Last Look August 3, 2011
Rock varnish on a rock from the Atacama Desert

Bacteria Colony? July 29, 2011
Scientists are studying rocks in Chile to learn about possible life on Mars

Looking for Life July 27, 2011
Chile's Atacama Desert is an analog for studying conditions on Mars

Mars on Earth July 26, 2011
Atlantis lands on July 21, 2011, ending the space shuttle program

That's All, Folks! July 22, 2011
Dawn's first view of Vesta after entering orbit, July 2011

Settling In July 18, 2011
Dawn spacecraft view of asteroid Vesta shortly before entering orbit

First Stop July 15, 2011
Space shuttle Atlantis approaches the International Space Station, July 2011

Final Approach July 13, 2011
Atlantis launches on the final space shuttle mission, July 8, 2011

Last Call July 8, 2011
Cassini view of Iapetus, a moon of Saturn

Two-Toned Moon July 7, 2011
Dust coats the spacesuit of Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan

Dirty Moonwalker June 22, 2011
A solar eruption on June 7, 2011

Big Splash June 7, 2011
Venus's path across the Sun during the transit of 1761

Bright Passage June 6, 2011
Artist's concept of upgraded Hobby-Eberly Telescope

Facelift for Science June 3, 2011
Stars and cities streak past space shuttle Endeavour

Fast Flyer June 1, 2011
A painting by Andrew Wyeth depicts preparations for a Gemini launch in the 1960s

Ready for Liftoff May 30, 2011
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 attached to the International Space Station

On Duty May 23, 2011
Artist's concept of a free-floating planet in the Milky Way galaxy

Free Agent May 19, 2011
Space shutle Endeavour launches on its final mission, June 16, 2011

Final Endeavour May 16, 2011
Cassini view of geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus squirting far into space

Faithful Geysers May 13, 2011
Alan Shepard enters his capsule, then launches aboard Freedom 7, May 5, 1961

A-OK Flight May 5, 2011
Lightning strikes near space shuttle Endeavour, April 28, 2011

Close Call May 2, 2011
Artist's concept of TW Hydra, a young star encircled by a disk of gas and dust

Messy Youngster April 25, 2011
Artist's concept of the planetary system Kepler 11

Close Family April 22, 2011
A view of NGC 3582, a large stellar nursery in Karina

Life and Death April 19, 2011
The Opportunity rover crosses the Martian plains toward Endeavour crater

Crater Crawling April 16, 2011
Launches of Vostok 1, STS-1 (space shuttle Columbia)

Double Date April 12, 2011
Infrared view of planetary nebula NGC 4361 in Corvus

Cotton-Candy Star April 3, 2011
Storm clouds swirl through Saturn's atmosphere in an image from Cassini

Artistic Storm March 28, 2011
New stars and the raw materials for more stars in the stellar nursery NGC 6729

Star Maker March 24, 2011
Artist's concept of Messenger orbiting Mercury

Safe Arrival March 18, 2011
X-ray and radio image of galaxy M87

Close to the Monster March 10, 2011
Irregular galaxy Henize 2-10, which appears to contain a supermassive black hole

Small But Powerful March 8, 2011
Giotto spacecraft view of Halley's Comet, March 1986

Halley's Armada March 5, 2011
Sky view from space shuttle Discovery, February 2011

Nice View March 2, 2011
Space shuttle Discovery launch, February 24, 2011

Last Show February 25, 2011
M78, a reflection nebula in Orion

Beautiful Reflection February 21, 2011
Comet Tempel 1 as seen by the Stardust spacecraft, February 14, 2011

Close Cometary Encounter February 17, 2011
Comet Tempel-1 from the Stardust spacecraft, February 14, 2011

Second Glance February 15, 2011
Newly forming planetary system around Beta Pictoris

Messy Star System February 10, 2011
Ground and orbital views of Opportunity rover at Santa Maria crater

Looking In February 8, 2011
Spiral galaxy NGC 3621 in the constellation Hydra

Galactic Sparkler February 2, 2011
Antares, brightest star of Scorpius, shines through the rings of Saturn

Peeking Giant January 28, 2011
False-color image of Orion Nebula from European Southern Observatory

Delicate Power January 21, 2011
Earth is in the middle of the Sun's habitable zone

In the Zone January 18, 2011
Reiner Gamma, a prominent lunar swirl in the Ocean of Storms

Lunar Swirl January 12, 2011
Hubble view of Hanny's Voorwerp and the galaxy IC 2497

In the Spotlight January 11, 2011
The Horsehead Nebula

Galloping Nebula January 8, 2011
Infrared image of the Lagoon Nebula

Blue Lagoon January 6, 2011

Over the Rim December 31, 2010
Opportunity rover view of Santa Maria crater

Crater Climbing December 30, 2010
The Opportunity rover casts it shadow on the rim of a Martian crater

Martian Robot December 29, 2010
Geysers on Enceladus

Fizzy Moon? December 27, 2010
Shields like those of the USS Enterprise may protect real space travel

Shields Up! December 17, 2010
Visible and X-ray image of a supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Holiday Decoration December 16, 2010
Enceladus passes in front of Saturn's rings

Saturnian Iceball December 8, 2010
Sun glints off a lake on Saturn's moon Titan

Sparkling Lake November 30, 2010
IC 2118, the Witch Head Nebula

Witch Head Nebula November 26, 2010
China Clipper Sails the Pacific Ocean

Night Over Water November 22, 2010
NGC 7252, aka the Atoms-for-Peace galaxies

Atomic Pile-up November 20, 2010
Lunokhod image of its tracks on the lunar surface

Found It! November 15, 2010
The California Nebula, in Perseus

Stately Nebula November 6, 2010
Comet Hartley-2 from Deep Impact Spacecraft

Fowl Comet? November 5, 2010
Deep Impact view of Comet Hartley-2

Closing In November 4, 2010
Ultraviolet image of the region around the Ghost of Jupiter Nebula

Astronomical Ghost October 31, 2010
Six Spiral Galaxies from European Southern Observatory

Galaxies Galore October 29, 2010
Cassini image of Saturn's moon Mimas, October 2010

Scarface October 25, 2010
Comet Hartley-2 from McDonald Observatory

Jolly Green Comet October 21, 2010
Infrared view of Comet Hartley 2 from WISE

Heading for a Rendezvous October 6, 2010
Artist's concept of a protoplanetary disk with wide gaps

Planet Nursery October 4, 2010
Ground-based image of the galaxy cluster Abell 2151, in Hercules

Galaxies Galore October 1, 2010
Luna 16 diagram

To the Moon and Back September 24, 2010
A multi-spectral view of a supernova remnant in the Small Magellanic Cloud

Life from Death September 17, 2010
MIT professor Dava Newman models a new type of space suit

Dressed for Success (in Space) September 15, 2010
NGC 4666, a starburst galaxy

Lively Galaxy September 3, 2010
Evaporating planet around the star HD209458

Puffy Planet August 26, 2010

Two Moons Rising August 16, 2010
Cassini snapped views of Saturn's moons Enceladus and Tethys.

Two Moons Rising August 16, 2010

Galactic Beauty August 11, 2010
M87 black hole

Busy Black Hole August 11, 2010
Messier 27

Heavy Lifting August 7, 2010
Rings and bubbles from a dying star

Jumping Through Hoops August 5, 2010
Two moons of Saturn are shaped like flying saucers, as seen by Cassini.

Flying Saucers! July 29, 2010
The largest lake in the southern hemisphere of Saturn's moon Titan.

Big (Foot) Lake July 27, 2010

Stellar Sculptors July 15, 2010
A false-color image of Idunn Mons indicates that the Venusian volcano is still a

Still Going? July 9, 2010
The Milky Way galaxy and the afterglow of the Big Bang make up this all-sky imag

A Little of Everything July 6, 2010
Dione, one of the moons of Saturn, passes in front of the larger moon Titan.

Just Passing By June 30, 2010
A hot, massive star 'exhales' a breath of oxygen in this recent image from WISE.

Breath of Life June 22, 2010
The sky glows orange in this artist's concept of the atmosphere of Venus.

Dusky Skies June 15, 2010
An ultraviolet view of the spiral galaxy M81 shows young, hot stars in blue and

Grand Galaxy June 12, 2010
The Cassini spacecraft snapped this image of Saturn's moon Rhea from a distance

Close Moon June 7, 2010
The remains of a supernova explosion form complex loops and filaments in this co

Colorful Aftermath May 27, 2010
Starbirth Factories

Starbirth Factories May 24, 2010
The next Mars rover, Curiosity, zaps a Martian rock with a small laser in this a

War of the Worlds? May 19, 2010
A fish-eye image shows a laser firing from the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii.

Zapping the Sky May 17, 2010