Click for a larger version. Image Credits (both Hubble Spitzer): NASA, ESA, Q.D. Wang (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and S. Stolovy (Spitzer Science Center/Caltech)

The image of the galactic core of our Milky Way is a nice collaboration between the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes.  Normally we can’t see the core because of all the obscuring dust, not a problem for the Spitzer and Hubble’s infrared eyes (Hubble infrared eyes are from the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer.

A lot of what is shown is hot ionized gas are around the innermost 300 light years, which is pretty close in (we are about 25,000 +/- light-years away).  Looks like chaos to me.

Check out the Hubblesite press release for additional details and a zoomable image which is quite nice.

YAY!

View of Phoenix Lander from the MRO. Click for a larger image (~62k). Image NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

The Phoenix lander may have succumbed to the environment in the Martian arctic, but it still can contribute to science.

This image was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at 3:31 pm local Mars time on December 21st, just prior to the onset of Martian autumn for Phoenix.  The sun was 14 degrees above the horizon.

The image is apparently in false color; however the bluish color in this case is attributed to atmospheric haze.  Subsequent images will reveal changes to the scene from the evolving Martian climate.

It's windy in Cassiopeia! Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA

The Spitzer Space Telescope took this image of a group of stars in the constellation of Cassiopeia. Those “comet looking things” are stars with their planetary disks being blown away by giant stars maybe 20 times the size of our Sun and those stars are probably a light-year away from the big ones!

Here’s the press release from the Spitzer site(the long version is linked below):

This image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope shows the nasty effects of living near a group of massive stars: radiation and winds from the massive stars (white spot in center) are blasting planet-making material away from stars like our sun. The planetary material can be seen as comet-like tails behind three stars near the center of the picture. The tails are pointing away from the massive stellar furnaces that are blowing them outward.

Read more »

Saturn and Six Moons from Cassini. Image credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Here’s a Cassini image of Saturn to start off the New Year. The image was just released but was taken in July and is a mosaic of 30 images.

I first saw the image and thought “hey that’s pretty nice”, then I looked at the image in a larger format (click the image) and the moons became more evident and whoa, it’s a really-really nice image.  You may have to click at least the 82k version below to see all six moons.

From the press release:

Six moons complete this constructed panorama: Titan (5,150 kilometers, or 3,200 miles, across), Janus (179 kilometers, or 111 miles, across), Mimas (396 kilometers, or 246 miles, across), Pandora (81 kilometers, or 50 miles, across), Epimetheus (113 kilometers, or 70 miles, across) and Enceladus (504 kilometers, or 313 miles, across).

To see a larger version (~82k) you can click here or you can check out the Cassini site for a really large version (~250k) and the full press release.

Venus and the crescent moon. See it tonight (early).

What a great way to end the year!

Venus and Luna pair up to make a very nice sight in the west for a few hours after sunset.

This image in no way does the sight justice.

Before you go out for a night of SAFE revelry see it for yourself if you can! Happy New Year to all!