An unusually active sunspot region, AR 4366, is currently crossing the Sun. Much larger than Earth, it has produced several powerful solar flares in the past ten days and may be the most active region of the current 11-year solar cycle. The dark sunspots are visible in an image taken over a hill in Zacatecas, Mexico, five days ago. As the region moves toward the Sun’s edge, it will soon rotate out of view, though it could reappear in about two weeks if it remains intact. Active regions like AR 4366 are often linked to increased auroral activity on Earth.
NGC 1275 (Perseus A) is the central, dominant galaxy of the nearby Perseus Cluster of Galaxies. It is highly active, emitting strongly in visible light, X-rays, and radio wavelengths. The galaxy accretes matter as entire galaxies fall into it, feeding a supermassive black hole at its core. Narrowband imaging reveals debris and glowing gas filaments up to 20,000 light-years long. Despite violent galactic collisions, these filaments persist, likely held together by magnetic fields driven by black-hole activity. NGC 1275 spans over 100,000 light-years and lies about 230 million light-years from Earth.
Galle Crater on Mars appears like a smiling, winking face due to natural markings formed by a city-sized asteroid impact billions of years ago. First observed by the Viking Orbiter in the 1970s, it was later imaged in detail by the Mars Global Surveyor, which orbited Mars from 1996 to 2006.
Abell 7, a faint planetary nebula 1,800 light-years away near Lepus, spans 8 light-years. This deep image reveals its spherical shape and intricate internal structures, enhanced by long exposures and narrowband filters capturing hydrogen and oxygen emissions. About 20,000 years old, its central white dwarf is roughly 10 billion years old—offering a glimpse of the Sun’s distant fate.
NGC 1365 is a huge barred spiral galaxy in Fornax, about 56 million light-years away and roughly twice the size of the Milky Way. A new James Webb (MIRI) infrared image shows its core, dusty spiral arms, and bright newborn star clusters in striking detail. The bar appears to drive gas and dust inward, fueling intense star formation and possibly feeding its central supermassive black hole.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Janice Lee (NOIRLab) - Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
CTB 1 is a faint supernova remnant in Cassiopeia formed ~10,000 years ago. Its glowing gas shell—nicknamed the Medulla Nebula—comes from the star’s explosion and shock-heated interstellar gas. Its X-ray glow is still debated, possibly powered by a fast-moving pulsar ejected from the blast. Despite appearing Moon-sized, it’s extremely faint and required 84 hours of exposure to image.
Our Solar System seems fairly typical: interstellar visitor Comet 3I/ATLAS looks chemically and visually similar to regular comets, with a green coma and tails. It passed the Sun in October, will pass Earth in mid-December, and then leave forever. Image Credit & Copyright: Victor Sabet & Julien De Winter
The image shows crater Plato and the Montes Alpes on the Moon, formed by a massive impact that created the Mare Imbrium. The smooth mare contrasts with the rugged mountains, cut by the 160-km Alpine Valley. One peak is called Mont Blanc. With no atmosphere or snow, the lunar Alps aren’t ski-friendly—though gravity would make you much lighter there.
The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51/NGC 5194) is a bright, classic Sc-type spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away and 60,000 light-years across. It’s visible with binoculars in the constellation Canes Venatici and is the dominant member of its galaxy group. Its striking spiral structure is thought to result from gravitational interaction with a smaller companion galaxy. A featured deep image from Lijiang, China combines 58 hours of multi-color exposures to show it in detail.
New Horizons
An unusually active sunspot region, AR 4366, is currently crossing the Sun. Much larger than Earth, it has produced several powerful solar flares in the past ten days and may be the most active region of the current 11-year solar cycle. The dark sunspots are visible in an image taken over a hill in Zacatecas, Mexico, five days ago. As the region moves toward the Sun’s edge, it will soon rotate out of view, though it could reappear in about two weeks if it remains intact. Active regions like AR 4366 are often linked to increased auroral activity on Earth.
1 week ago | [YT] | 2
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New Horizons
NGC 1275 (Perseus A) is the central, dominant galaxy of the nearby Perseus Cluster of Galaxies.
It is highly active, emitting strongly in visible light, X-rays, and radio wavelengths.
The galaxy accretes matter as entire galaxies fall into it, feeding a supermassive black hole at its core.
Narrowband imaging reveals debris and glowing gas filaments up to 20,000 light-years long.
Despite violent galactic collisions, these filaments persist, likely held together by magnetic fields driven by black-hole activity.
NGC 1275 spans over 100,000 light-years and lies about 230 million light-years from Earth.
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New Horizons
Galle Crater on Mars appears like a smiling, winking face due to natural markings formed by a city-sized asteroid impact billions of years ago. First observed by the Viking Orbiter in the 1970s, it was later imaged in detail by the Mars Global Surveyor, which orbited Mars from 1996 to 2006.
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 6
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New Horizons
Orion clouds over Icy landscapes of Poland
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New Horizons
Planetary Nebula Abell 7
Abell 7, a faint planetary nebula 1,800 light-years away near Lepus, spans 8 light-years. This deep image reveals its spherical shape and intricate internal structures, enhanced by long exposures and narrowband filters capturing hydrogen and oxygen emissions. About 20,000 years old, its central white dwarf is roughly 10 billion years old—offering a glimpse of the Sun’s distant fate.
Image Credit & Copyright: Martin Pugh
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 3
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New Horizons
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 from Webb
NGC 1365 is a huge barred spiral galaxy in Fornax, about 56 million light-years away and roughly twice the size of the Milky Way. A new James Webb (MIRI) infrared image shows its core, dusty spiral arms, and bright newborn star clusters in striking detail. The bar appears to drive gas and dust inward, fueling intense star formation and possibly feeding its central supermassive black hole.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Janice Lee (NOIRLab) - Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 4
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New Horizons
CTB 1: The Medulla Nebula
CTB 1 is a faint supernova remnant in Cassiopeia formed ~10,000 years ago. Its glowing gas shell—nicknamed the Medulla Nebula—comes from the star’s explosion and shock-heated interstellar gas. Its X-ray glow is still debated, possibly powered by a fast-moving pulsar ejected from the blast. Despite appearing Moon-sized, it’s extremely faint and required 84 hours of exposure to image.
Image Credit: Pierre Konzelmann
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 4
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New Horizons
3I/ATLAS: Tails of an Interstellar Comet
Our Solar System seems fairly typical: interstellar visitor Comet 3I/ATLAS looks chemically and visually similar to regular comets, with a green coma and tails. It passed the Sun in October, will pass Earth in mid-December, and then leave forever.
Image Credit & Copyright: Victor Sabet & Julien De Winter
1 month ago | [YT] | 3
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New Horizons
Plato and the Lunar Alps
The image shows crater Plato and the Montes Alpes on the Moon, formed by a massive impact that created the Mare Imbrium. The smooth mare contrasts with the rugged mountains, cut by the 160-km Alpine Valley. One peak is called Mont Blanc. With no atmosphere or snow, the lunar Alps aren’t ski-friendly—though gravity would make you much lighter there.
Image Credit & Copyright: Luigi Morrone
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New Horizons
M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy
The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51/NGC 5194) is a bright, classic Sc-type spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away and 60,000 light-years across. It’s visible with binoculars in the constellation Canes Venatici and is the dominant member of its galaxy group. Its striking spiral structure is thought to result from gravitational interaction with a smaller companion galaxy. A featured deep image from Lijiang, China combines 58 hours of multi-color exposures to show it in detail.
Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Sleeman
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