Space Telescope Science Institute

The Chandra X-ray Observatory is adding a pop of pink to our day! X-ray light shines through these James Webb Space Telescope images of merging galaxies and star-forming regions. By observing objects in X-ray light, we see more than we would in infrared or visible light. In N 79 (first image), Chandra sees the hot gas created by young stars, which helps astronomers better understand how stars like our sun formed billions of years ago. In IC 348, the point-like sources in Chandra’s X-ray data are young stars in the cluster developing there. As the galaxies in IC 1623 collide, they trigger new bursts of star formation that glow dramatically in certain kinds of light. The observatory recently released a collection of images that contain data from other telescopes, showcasing how Chandra complements them: https://lnkd.in/eAWtMgUf #NASAWebb #JWST #ChandraXRay #astronomy #pink

When it comes to the planets in our solar system, the James Webb Space Telescope is ready and well-attuned to capture the dynamic changes and processes our planetary neighbors undergo—including directly imaging Neptune’s “glow-up” at a distance. Before Webb, scientists noted signatures of auroral activity on Neptune with NASA’s Voyager 2, a space probe that flew by the planet in 1989. However, while astronomers have detected such glowing “light shows” on planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus—successful direct imaging of Neptune’s auroras remained elusive. With Webb’s large mirror and near-infrared sensitivity, astronomers used the telescope in 2023 to directly image Neptune’s auroras for the first time and obtain an updated spectrum of the planet’s upper atmosphere. This data was acquired without having to send a spacecraft to the far reaches of our solar system. When comparing the Voyager 2 data to Webb’s findings, the team learned that the planet’s atmosphere cooled by several hundred degrees. This considerable change in temperature could explain why Neptune’s auroras have been difficult to detect, and illustrates how planets’ atmospheres can change over a relatively short period of time. Observing Neptune’s auroras with Webb is only one example of how the telescope is providing insight on the internal structure and atmospheric dynamics of planets within our solar system. #NASAWebb #JWST #Neptune #Hubble #STScI #astronomy https://lnkd.in/eqKKdy5k

This science visualization presents the dramatic landscape of two nebulas in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The video, based on images by the Hubble Space Telescope, takes viewers on a close-up tour of the nebulas' three-dimensional structures, as envisioned by scientists and artists. #astronomy #STScI #CosmicReef #space #Hubble #HubbleSpaceTelescope https://lnkd.in/e-nDPnVP

Astronomers have discovered a rare, ancient planetary system 145 light-years from Earth, where a white dwarf star is actively consuming the remnants of a rocky planet. The system features the oldest and most chemically “polluted” debris disk ever observed around a white dwarf. Spectroscopic data from the W. M. Keck Observatory reveal 13 elements in the star’s atmosphere—evidence of a planet torn apart by gravitational forces. This finding highlights long-term dynamical processes in post-stellar planetary systems that are still poorly understood: https://bit.ly/47mYktj #SpaceNews #WhiteDwarf #astronomy

No need to be scared! This infrared-light view of barred spiral galaxy NGC 1433 is just a reminder of how the James Webb Space Telescope reveals details that are hidden in visible light. With Webb’s infrared gaze, NGC 1433’s core shines brightly, along with its hollow cavities that are surrounded by threads and streaks of gas and dust. NGC 1433 is one spiral galaxy that was observed as part of Webb’s Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) survey. This large and highly collaborative survey, which commenced in the telescope’s first year of science operations, observed a total of 19 spiral galaxies. With Webb’s infrared capabilities and high resolution, scientists were able to examine new details about these galaxies’ structures, including gas, dust, and stellar populations. Collectively, the data help improve astronomers’ knowledge of galaxy evolution and formation: https://lnkd.in/evjR63my #astronomy #galaxy #PHANGS #NASAWebb #JWST

The Vatican Observatory, Johns Hopkins University, and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) announce the launch of WONDER BOUND, a stunning exhibit of cosmic imagery from the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. STScI Director Dr. Jennifer Lotz: “This exhibit offers the public an exceptional opportunity to explore how the Hubble and James Webb telescopes are transforming our understanding of the universe, reshaping scientific knowledge, and inspiring deeper questions.” #STScI #astronomy #NASAWebb #Hubble #JWST #JHU #Vatican https://lnkd.in/eHbKvWAn

Eta Carinae, or Eta Car, is famous for a brilliant and unusual outburst, called the "Great Eruption", observed in the 1840s. This visualization presents the story of that event and examines the resulting multiwavelength emissions and three-dimensional structures surrounding Eta Car today: https://lnkd.in/egWchkbB #STScI #UniverseOfLearning #EtaCarinae #astronomy

The James Webb Space Telescope is digging into the relationship dynamics between galaxies and their black holes. Before Webb, astronomers could only observe a certain type of supermassive black hole in the early universe: quasars. Due to their high mass, and swirling gas and dust creating heat and light around the black hole, quasars are the brightest—and therefore easiest—type of supermassive black hole to detect. However, quasars don’t represent the typical black hole in our universe. While astronomers knew that lower mass and quieter black holes must be present in the early universe, the ability to peer that far into the cosmos was quite limited. Astronomers can now look farther back in time than ever before thanks to Webb’s large mirror and infrared sensitivity. When scientists started using Webb in 2022 to peer into the early universe, they found something unexpected: The early universe is brimming with black holes. The black holes observed are smaller and quieter—more similar to the one in the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. Their fainter nature permits their host galaxies’ light to be distinctly detected by Webb, allowing scientists to study black hole-galaxy pairs to see how they evolve together over time. Credit: STScI. #NASAWebb #JWST #WebbSpaceTelescope #STScI #astronomy #BlackHoles

Why do some rocky planets have atmospheres when others don’t? The James Webb and Hubble space telescopes are teaming up to find out: https://lnkd.in/eDvvsygD #astronomy #STScI #Hubble #Webb #JWST #exoplanets

Are you looking for our Public Lecture Series? The 2024 and 2025 lectures are now available on this YouTube channel playlist. #PublicLectureSeries #STScI #astronomy https://lnkd.in/eUmti4cX