Tag Archive for 'ESA'

Engineering images of sharply focused stars in the field of view of each instrument demonstrate that the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope is fully aligned and in focus. For this test, Webb pointed at part of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, providing a dense field of hundreds of thousands of stars across all the observatory’s sensors. The sizes and positions of the images shown here depict the relative arrangement of each of Webb’s instruments in the telescope’s focal plane, each pointing at a slightly offset part of the sky relative to one another. Webb’s three imaging instruments are NIRCam (images shown here at a wavelength of 2 microns), NIRISS (image shown here at 1.5 microns), and MIRI (shown at 7.7 microns, a longer wavelength revealing emission from interstellar clouds as well as starlight). NIRSpec is a spectrograph rather than imager but can take images, such as the 1.1 micron image shown here, for calibrations and target acquisition. The dark regions visible in parts of the NIRSpec data are due to structures of its microshutter array, which has several hundred thousand controllable shutters that can be opened or shut to select which light is sent into the spectrograph. Lastly, Webb’s Fine Guidance Sensor tracks guide stars to point the observatory accurately and precisely; its two sensors are not generally used for scientific imaging but can take calibration images such as those shown here. This image data is used not just to assess image sharpness but also to precisely measure and calibrate subtle image distortions and alignments between sensors as part of Webb’s overall instrument calibration process. Image credit: NASA / STScI.

Webb Successfully Completes Alignment Phase

Apr 29, 2022 by News Staff

After full review, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has been confirmed to be capable of capturing well-focused images with each of its four...

An artist’s impression of 25 hot-Jupiters examined by Changeat et al. Image credit: NASA/ ESA / Hubble / N. Bartmann.

New Study Unravels Mysteries of Hot-Jupiter Exoplanets

Apr 28, 2022 by News Staff

In a study published on April 25, 2022 in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, astronomers analyzed archival spectroscopic and photometric data...

This Hubble image shows GAMA 526784, an ultra-diffuse galaxy some 4 billion light-years away in the constellation of Hydra. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / R. van der Burg / L. Shatz.

Hubble Spots Distant Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy

Apr 25, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a striking photo of the ultra-diffuse galaxy GAMA 526784. This Hubble image shows GAMA...

This Hubble image shows HCG 40 (also known as Arp 321), an unusual close-knit collection of five galaxies in the constellation of Hydra. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / STScI.

NASA Marks Hubble’s 32nd Birthday with Amazing Image of Compact Galaxy Group

Apr 20, 2022 by News Staff

This small group of galaxies, called the Hickson Compact Group 40, includes three spiral galaxies, an elliptical galaxy and a lenticular galaxy. In about...

This Hubble image shows the VV 689 system. The color image is composed of infrared, optical and ultraviolet observations from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Victor M. Blanco 4-m Telescope, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Nine filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / W. Keel / Judy Schmidt, www.geckzilla.com.

Hubble Witnesses Stunning Galaxy Collision: VV 689

Apr 18, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

A beautiful new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures an ongoing collision between two massive galaxies. This Hubble image shows the...

An artist’s impression of a supermassive black hole that is inside the dust-shrouded core of a starburst galaxy. Image credit: NASA / ESA / N. Bartmann.

Hubble Finds Rapidly Growing Black Hole in Early Universe

Apr 13, 2022 by News Staff

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have spotted GNz7q, a black hole that existed only 750 million years after the Big Bang, in one of...

This image, taken by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 on January 8, 2022, shows comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein). Image credit: NASA / ESA / Man-To Hui, Macau University of Science and Technology / David Jewitt, UCLA / Alyssa Pagan, STScI.

Hubble Detects Giant Nucleus of Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein

Apr 12, 2022 by News Staff

The estimated diameter of the nucleus of comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) is approximately 137 km (85 miles) across, making it the largest...

This Hubble image shows Messier 91, a barred spiral galaxy some 56 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma Berenices. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / J. Lee / PHANGS-HST Team.

Hubble Snaps Stunning Image of Messier 91

Apr 11, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

NASA has released a stunning image snapped by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of the barred spiral galaxy Messier 91. This Hubble image shows Messier...

An artist’s impression of the ultrahot Jupiter KELT-20b. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Leah Hustak, STScI.

Ultrahot Jupiters WASP-178b and KELT-20b Have Extreme Weather

Apr 6, 2022 by News Staff

It’s raining vaporized rock on WASP-178b, and KELT-20b has its upper atmosphere getting hotter rather than cooler because it is being sunburned by intense...

AB Aurigae b. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Thayne Currie, Subaru Telescope & Eureka Scientific Inc. / Alyssa Pagan, STScI.

Astronomers Directly Image Giant Protoplanet around AB Aurigae

Apr 5, 2022 by News Staff

Using the Subaru Telescope and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have found evidence for a Jupiter-like protoplanet around the young star...

This image shows NGC 5921, a barred spiral galaxy some 78 million light-years away in the constellation of Serpens. This picture was created from images taken with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). One optical and two infrared filter were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / J. Walsh / R. Colombari.

Hubble Space Telescope Zooms In on NGC 5921

Apr 4, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken a detailed image of a spectacular part of the spiral galaxy called NGC 5921. This image shows NGC 5921, a...

This image shows Utopia Planitia, a plain that fills one of three major basins in the northern hemisphere of Mars. Image credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin / CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.

Mars Express Sees Fascinating Ice-Related Features in Utopia Planitia

Mar 31, 2022 by News Staff

Utopia Planitia, a large lava plain in the northern hemisphere of Mars, has a diameter of roughly 3,300 km (2,051 miles) — just under twice the north-south...

Hubble Uncovers Most Distant Star Ever Seen

Mar 31, 2022 by News Staff

Designated WHL0137-LS and nicknamed Earendel, the newly-detected star emitted its light around 900 million years after the Big Bang. Earendel (arrow) is...

This Hubble image shows NGC 7172, an active spiral galaxy some 110.5 million light-years away in the constellation of Piscis Austrinus. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / D.J. Rosario / A. Barth / L. Shatz.

Hubble Sees Active Spiral Galaxy: NGC 7172

Mar 28, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

In this image, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured the brilliance of the spiral galaxy NGC 7172. This Hubble image shows NGC 7172, an active...

An artist’s conception of the Milky Way Galaxy. Image credit: Pablo Carlos Budassi / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Milky Way Evolved in Few Different Phases, New Research Suggests

Mar 23, 2022 by News Staff

The formation of our Milky Way Galaxy can be split up qualitatively into different assembly phases that resulted in its structurally different stellar...

This Hubble image shows the spiral galaxy NGC 4571. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / J. Lee / PHANGS-HST Team.

Hubble Takes Close Look at NGC 4571

Mar 21, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken a picture of the low-surface brightness spiral galaxy NGC 4571. This Hubble image shows the spiral galaxy...

While the purpose of this image was to focus on the bright star at the center for alignment evaluation, Webb’s optics and NIRCam are so sensitive that the galaxies and stars seen in the background show up. At this stage of Webb’s mirror alignment, known as fine phasing, each of the primary mirror segments have been adjusted to produce one unified image of the same star using only the NIRCam instrument. This image of a star called 2MASS J17554042+6551277 uses a red filter to optimize visual contrast. Image credit: NASA / STScI.

Webb’s Optics Works Successfully, NASA Says

Mar 16, 2022 by News Staff

Following the completion of mirror alignment steps, the Webb team expects that the telescope’s optical performance will be able to meet or exceed its...

This Hubble image shows NGC 1097, a barred spiral galaxy some 48 million light-years away in the constellation of Fornax. The color image is made up of observations from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys in the ultraviolet, near-infrared, and optical parts of the spectrum. Seven filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / D. Sand / K. Sheth.

Hubble Space Telescope Focuses on NGC 1097

Mar 14, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured a finely detailed image of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1097. This Hubble image shows NGC 1097, a barred...

This Hubble image shows HH 34, an Herbig-Haro object located roughly 1,370 light-years away in the constellation of Orion. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / B. Nisini.

Hubble Observes Energetic Outburst from Distant Protostar

Mar 7, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

NASA has released an a beautiful new photo taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of an Herbig-Haro object called HH 34. This Hubble image shows...

During this phase of Webb’s alignment known as image stacking, individual segment images are moved so they fall precisely at the center of the field to produce one unified image instead of 18. Image credit: NASA / STScI.

Webb Continues On Its Path to Becoming Focused Observatory

Mar 2, 2022 by News Staff

Scientists and engineers on the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope team have successfully worked through the second and third out of seven total phases...

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