Pick a Postcard - Astrophysical Objects


This image, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, shows a very complex planetary nebula. It is nicknamed the "Cat's Eye Nebula" and is about 1,000 years old.
Courtesy of NASA

This is an image of Antares & Rho Ophiuchi.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This is the Trifid Nebula in Sagittarius. The red HII region with its young cluster is surrounded by a blue reflection nebula.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This image shows stars that excite the Trifid Nebula.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This is the Horsehead Nebula and NGC 2023.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This is the Tarantula Nebula around 30 Doradus.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This is an image of the Horsehead Nebula which is 1500 light years away.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This image shows a small portion of a nebula called the "Cygnus Loop." This supernova remnant lies 2,500 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus the Swan.
Courtesy of Jeff Hester (Arizona State University) and NASA

This is an image of the Orion Nebula which is an emission nebula 1,500 light years away. It is known as "The Great Nebula of Orion."
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This is the Eskimo Nebula also known as Clownface Nebula which has an unusually bright central star.
Courtesy of Jeff Hester (Arizona State University) and NASA

This is the Trifid Nebula which is 2,000 light years away. It is called this because of the three dark division lanes.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This is a spiral galaxy, NGC 2997.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This is the Helix nebula, a planetary nebula in NGC 7293.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This is the Andromeda Galaxy, our nearest large neighbor galaxy.
Courtesy of NASA

This is the Whirlpool Galaxy M51 and was one of Messier's original discoveries. He discovered it on October 13, 1773, when observing a comet.
Courtesy of NASA

This is an image of the radio galaxy Centaurus A.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This is the Barred Sprial Galaxy, NGC 1365.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This image shows startrails around the South Celestial Pole.
Courtesy of the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh

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