Gallery: Space Photos of the Week: Ain't Nobody Outshining This Sassy Star

  • Image may contain Universe Space Astronomy Outer Space Nebula Outdoors and Nature
    <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2017/hubbles-bright-shining-lizard-star">ESA/NASA</a>
    01

    SPoW-April27-06.jpg

    The NGC 7250 galaxy has contained exploding supernovas, but in this photo taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, it’s overshadowed by a bright star located in the Lizard constellation, which is a million times closer to us than far-off NGC 7250, over 45 million light-years away from Earth.
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    <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/ames/feature/nasa-funded-research-reveals-lull-in-the-formation-time-of-mega-basins-on-mars">University of Arizona</a>
    02

    SPoW-April27-01.jpg

    This false-color image shows five impact basins on Mars, including Borealis (top), Hellas (bottom right), and Argyre (bottom left). Scientists at the Southwest Research Institute discovered a 400-million-year gap between the formation of Borealis and the other basins.
  • Image may contain Universe Space Astronomy Nebula and Outer Space
    <a href="http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2017/clusters/">NASA</a>
    03

    SPoW-April27-05.jpg

    This composite image shows four galaxy clusters, as documented by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Chandra is observing 13 galaxy clusters to learn more about properties of dark matter.
  • Image may contain Nature Animal Wildlife Mammal Elephant Outdoors Banister Handrail Mountain Ice and Rock
    <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jpl/pia21600/windblown-sand-in-ganges-chasma">NASA</a>
    04

    SPoW-April27-04.jpg

    This image shows dark sand covering layers of sedimentary rock in Ganges Chasma, a canyon on Mars. Unlike on most Eartly beaches and deserts, sand dunes on Mars are iron- and magnesium-rich, darkening their hue.
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    <a href="https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/3032/nasa-spacecraft-dives-between-saturn-and-its-rings/">NASA</a>
    05

    3032-triptych.jpg

    These unprocessed images show features in Saturn's atmosphere from closer than ever before. The view was captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during its first Grand Finale dive past the planet.
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    <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jpl/pia21599/how-old-are-martian-gullies">NASA</a>
    06

    SPoW-April27-03.jpg

    In this image of Mars’ surface, gullies, which still form on the planet today, nestle besides million-year-old craters.
  • Image may contain Universe Space Night Astronomy Moon Outdoors Outer Space Nature and Planet
    <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/cassini-completes-final-and-fateful-titan-flyby">NASA</a>
    07

    SPoW-April27-02.jpg

    On April 21, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft passed by Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, for the last (and 127th) time. This image was taken from 608 miles away; now Cassini will begins its Grand Finale, diving between Saturn and its rings to collect data before entering its atmosphere in September.
Read More
Astronomers Discover a Possible New Dwarf Planet in Our Solar System
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Jorge Garay
Astronomers Confirm Discovery of the Youngest Known Exoplanet Ever
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Teruyuki Hayakawa
NASA Just Made Nearly 1 TB of Artemis II Data Available to the Public
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Jorge Garay
Japan Is Attempting an Audacious Mission to Sample a Martian Moon
JAXA is leading an international mission to reach Mars’ Phobos moon and bring soil back to Earth. If successful, it could unlock new clues about the history of the solar system.
Jenna Ahart
NASA’s Oldest Martian Spacecraft Have Been Running for Decades. Here’s How
Two orbiters have long outlasted their expected lifespans and completely reshaped our understanding of the Red Planet, all while operating 140 million miles from Earth.
Meghan Bartels
How to See the Orionid Meteor Shower and Other Upcoming Astronomical Events
Made up of small fragments left behind by Halley’s Comet, these meteors are known for being especially bright and speedy.
Ritsuko Kawai
Inside the Supermassive Debate Over the James Webb Telescope’s ‘Little Red Dots’
The Webb telescope sees tiny red dots everywhere. Astronomers can’t agree on what they are, but some believe they may be enormous stars with black holes inside.
Charlie Wood
Artemis III Scientist Shares What to Expect From NASA’s Next Lunar Mission
Though scaled back from initial plans of landing, the voyage will serve as a dress rehearsal for when humans return to the moon’s surface.
Jorge Garay
Humans Watched This Supernova Explode Nearly a Millennium Ago. Now You Can See It in High Definition
The new image isn’t just stunning—it may also provide clues about how this star survived its own explosion.
Jorge Garay
The ‘Exotic Physics’ Behind a Mysterious 1,000-Mile Cloud on Mars
The cloud has baffled astronomers since its discovery in 2018. Now, a new study offers a possible cause for its appearance.
Tereza Ondráčková
What to Know About China’s Top-Secret Spaceplane
This week, the Pentagon released a full-resolution image of the vehicle, the capabilities of which remain rather mysterious.
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica
Elusive ‘Geoneutrinos’ Are Building a New Map of Earth’s Volatile Interior
A global network of detectors are reporting some of the most substantial measurements yet of neutrinos created deep underground by the radioactive elements that power our planet’s tectonic activity.
James Dinneen