Science

Melting Chocolate or a Martian Crater?

A close-up look at the universe’s many wonders, from nearby planets to faraway galaxies.
  • Photo: NASA
    01
    Scientists are fascinated by Galaxy NGC 5714—mostly because in 2003 it was home to a supernova. The violent deaths of stars aren’t rare, but this one had traces of calcium, making it one of only 15 calcium-rich supernovae ever discovered.
  • Photo: ESA/NASA
    02
    Galaxy NGC 1052-DF2 truly puzzles astronomers—not only does it have an atypical galactic shape, but it also happens to be missing its dark matter.
  • Photo: ESA/NASA
    03
    This gorgeous splattering of stars is globular cluster NGC 6397. Astronomers estimate that this cluster is nearly as old as the universe itself, ringing in at 13.4 billion years old. Just 600 million more years to go until the big 1-4\!
  • Photo: ESA/Gaia/DPAC
    04
    Do you see a black fox flying through space? You’re not alone. This darker region is actually an area full of dense gas located in the constellation Orion, spotted by the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite.
  • Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
    05
    Sure, it might look like melting chocolate, but this image is actually showing gullies and dunes in the Matara Crater on Mars. If you look in the right of the image, you can even spot frost around some of the gullies.
  • Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
    06
    Behold Lobo Vallis, a Martian region with active dunes and lots and lots of sand. These tendril-like shapes are a result of winds pushing the sands around and serve as a reminder that the geology of Mars is very much alive.
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