What was it like to process the first data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope? Read on to find out more!
Tangled in the Tarantula Nebula
Hubble Celebrates 32 Years in Orbit
As you may have noticed over the years, we like to celebrate the anniversary of Hubble’s launch with a special image that showcases the orbiting observatory’s fantastic light-gathering abilities and tack-sharp views of the cosmos. This year, to mark 32 years in orbit, we pointed Hubble towards an obscure grouping of galaxies known as Hickson... Continue Reading →
Webb Takes a Selfie
Webb recently took an image of its own mirrors, read on to discover more about how this image was created and what it means.
Capturing a New Type of Supernova
SN 2018zd may be a new breed of supernova. Read on to discover how the image behind this story was created.
Hubble at Thirty-one Trips Around the Sun
This blog post marks the 31st anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope. For more information and resources regarding Hubble anniversary, please visit hubblesite.
Are Hubble Images Real? Part I: Image Artifacts
TLDR: Yes, Hubble images are real. This series of posts is dedicated to the scrutiny of Hubble imagery and a broader discussion of the veracity of astronomical imagery. In this post, we'll look at the distracting image artifacts that are removed when creating press imagery.
What Color Is Mars?
What is "true color"? Is it what our eyes see, or is it something else entirely?
The Fading Stingray: A Case Study in Science and Aesthetics
We often make the case here that astronomical imagery created to support the dissemination of Hubble’s scientific results to the general public relies on a delicate balance of aesthetics and science. The image above provides a great study in how these two aspects of the image come together in the publication of a press release.... Continue Reading →
What’s Up with Jupiter and Saturn?
Jupiter and Saturn made a big splash last month due to the historic conjunction of our solar system’s two largest planets. From our vantage point here on Earth, looking out onto the flat plane of the sky, a conjunction occurs when two or more celestial bodies seem to slide right past each other in the... Continue Reading →