lori-rocks: the view up here by atit
itsfullofstars: As promised, this is what I’ve gotten done so far, just us and our neighbors this side of the asteroid belt. Keeping the format simple.
PS - just noticed the above images are iPhone sized, so have at it:)
Blooming Iris
Image courtesy T. A. Rector/UAA, H. Schweiker/WIYN, and NOAO/NSF
Spring flowers are blooming—even in space. This recently released picture shows NGC 7023, also called the Iris nebula for its floral appearance, as seen from Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.
The cosmic flower is actually what’s known as a reflection nebula. The interstellar cloud of dust and gas glows not because its material is being heated, but because it’s reflecting light from nearby stars.
(via Space Pictures This Week: Cosmic Flower, Inside-Out Star)
Cartwheel Galaxy
Lying about 500 million light-years away in the constellation of Sculptor, the cartwheel shape of this galaxy is the result of a violent galactic collision. A smaller galaxy has passed right through a large disc galaxy and produced shock waves that swept up gas and dust — much like the ripples produced when a stone is dropped into a lake — and sparked regions of intense star formation (appearing blue). The outermost ring of the galaxy, which is 1.5 times the size of our Milky Way, marks the shock wave’s leading edge. This object is one of the most dramatic examples of the small class of ring galaxies.
Source: ESA/Hubble
(via fuckyeah-stars)
Hubble Spies a UFO (by NASA Goddard Photo and Video)
(Source: stereotypical-hipster, via fuckyeah-stars)
kqedscience: NASA Creates Amazing Glowing Clouds at Edge of Space with 5-Rocket Launch
(via theatlantic)
