SPoW_Sept28_2017
01Hubble photographed the galaxy dubbed NGC 4490 and its victim galaxy NGC 4485, pulled together by gravity over millions of years and eventually colliding to form system Arp 269. The region is a hotbed for stellar nurseries, seen here in bright pinks and reds. The photo captures the pair post-collision, slowly drifting apart but doomed to crash into one another once again billions of years from now.
02This is the Saturn Nebula, a low-mass star that expelled material into space creating rings of dust and gas. The MUSE instrument attached to the European Space Observatory’s Very Large Telescope snapped this photo in order to map the nebula’s inner structure.
03This is the active region of molecular clouds known as W3, W4, and W5, a fantastic swirl of gaseous tendrils tossed around by powerful winds. The white areas are star formation and the blue areas contain supernovas.
04A collage of Jupiter photos taken over 95 minutes by the Juno spacecraft, highlighting the changes in the planet's atmosphere.
05This glowing blue beauty is comet C/2017 K2 PANSTARRS (K2), traveling through our solar system after being ejected from the Oort Cloud millions of years ago. The ball of rock and ice is around 4.6 billion years old and is the farthest active comet ever spotted.
06The Rosetta space probe snapped countless images of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko from all sides for nearly two years, presented here in a 210-photo mosaic.
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