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The planet PDS 70b inside a protoplanetary disk
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Caption: An image of the planet PDS 70b. The young star PDS 70b has a protoplanetary disk surrounding it. Disks like these contains gas, fine sandy particles that astronomers refer to as dust and also larger bodies ranging from objects the size of pebbles to protoplanets (planets that are still forming).
This image was taken in infrared light using adaptive optics. Adaptive optics is a technique that uses flexible mirrors and computer analysis to remove the blurring effect of the Earth's atmosphere. This allows astronomers to search regions close to stars like PDS 70 that would otherwise be swamped by light from the star spread out by the Earth's atmosphere. In the center is a black circle. This is caused by a coronograph, a small circle that blocks out light from the parent star. This is surrounded by a bright oval, infrared light emitted from the material in the protoplanetary disk. To the right of the black circle covering the star is a bright dot. This is PDS 70b, a giant planet that is still forming .
Credit: ESO/ A. Müller, MPIA
Credit Link
Glossary Terms:
Planet Formation , Protoplanet , Protoplanetary Disk , Adaptive Optics
Categories:
Exoplanets & Astrobiology
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons
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1.59 MB)
Spiral Galaxy UGC 2885
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Caption: This image shows UGC 2885, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Perseus, about 230 million light-years from Earth. Spiral galaxies have rotating disks of stars, gas, and dust, with spiral arms extending outward from the central region. In UGC 2885, these arms are very broad and faint, revealing the galaxy’s large size. This galaxy is tilted at an angle to the observer on Earth, meaning it does not appear as the circular "grand design" spiral it would look like if viewed face-on, nor as the thin line with a central bulge it would appear as if viewed edge-on.
UGC 2885 is remarkable because it is roughly twice the diameter of the Milky Way. It was studied by astronomer Vera Rubin, whose observations of how galaxies rotate — including systems like this one — played a key role in the search for dark matter.
The bright star which appears to the left of the galaxy's center is a foreground object not related to the galaxy.
Credit: NASA, ESA, Benne Holwerda (University of Louisville)
Credit Link
Glossary Terms:
Disk Galaxy , Spiral Galaxy
License: Public Domain Public Domain icons
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4.87 MB)
The Geminid Fireball
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Created for the OAE
Caption: Honorable mention in the 2023 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category of Still images taken exclusively with smartphones/mobile devices.
Captured with a smartphone on 13 December 2022, a Geminid meteor illuminated the sky above Blue Moon Valley in Yunnan, China, casting a breathtaking display against the serene backdrop of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Renowned for their dazzling brightness and vivid hues, the Geminids are among the most vibrant meteor showers, originating from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Each year, as our planet traverses Phaethon’s debris trail, fragments of dust and rock vaporise in the atmosphere, creating the stunning phenomenon of the Geminid meteor shower. In this stunning night sky image, the twin stars of Gemini (Castor and Pollux) are obscured by the silhouetted trees on the left. Mirrored in the calm waters are the stars that make up the constellation of Orion, which can be seen rising towards the bottom-centre of the image, while the radiant Mars retains its brilliance as the foremost celestial beacon in the scene, all before the moonrise takes over.
Credit: Jianfeng Dai/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)
Glossary Terms:
Gemini , Shooting Star
Categories:
Naked Eye Astronomy
, Solar System
Tags:
astrophotography
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons
This file on Zenodo ( image 15.06 MB)
An Encounter With Halley's Comet
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Caption: This image shows the solid core, or nucleus, of Halley’s Comet, captured in 1986 by the European Space Agency spacecraft Giotto during its flyby of the comet in the inner Solar System. The nucleus appears irregular and potato-shaped, measuring roughly 15 kilometers (about 9 miles) across, and is composed of a mixture of ice, dust, and rock. Unlike the glowing fuzzy cloud (coma) and long tail that make comets visible from Earth, the nucleus itself is dark and difficult to see until a spacecraft passes close enough to take detailed images.
Halley’s Comet is one of the best-known comets because it returns to the inner Solar System approximately every 76 years, allowing generations of astronomers to observe it repeatedly. The material that is released from the nucleus as the comet warms near the Sun forms a glowing coma and long tails of gas and dust, and over many returns leaves trails of debris that produce meteor showers on Earth, such as the Eta Aquarids in May and the Orionids in October.
Credit: NASA/ESA/Giotto Project
Credit Link
Glossary Terms:
Cometary Coma , Comet , Comet Nucleus , Halley's Comet
License: Public Domain Public Domain icons
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Record-Breaking Off-Earth Driving: Rovers on Mars & the Moon
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Caption: Part of the Simplifying Astronomy for Arabic Speakers project, this infographic highlights the longest distances traveled by rovers on Mars and the Moon, showcasing space exploration’s progress.
Top Rovers & Their Achievements
Mars: NASA’s Opportunity holds the record, covering 45.16 km between 2004–2018.
Moon: The Soviet Lunokhod 2 leads with 39 km, followed by Apollo rovers:
Apollo 17: 35.74 km
Apollo 15: 27.8 km
Apollo 16: 27.1 km
Mars vs. Moon: Different Challenges
1. Martian Terrain – Mars has a thin atmosphere, dust storms, and rugged landscapes, requiring durable, long-term rovers.
2. Lunar Terrain – The Moon’s cratered surface lacks an atmosphere, allowing easier movement but with shorter mission durations.
3. Mission Longevity – Mars rovers operate for years, while Apollo lunar rovers were used briefly.
Future Rovers & Expectations
Curiosity may reach 42.195 km, making it one of Mars' most traveled rovers.
Yutu-2 (China) continues exploring the Moon since 2019.
Conclusion
These record-breaking distances showcase technological advancements in planetary exploration. With continued innovation, future rovers will go even further, paving the way for ambitious human missions beyond Earth!
Credit: Ali Al-Edhari ; adapted from the original by NASA/JPL-Caltech
Glossary Terms:
Rover
Categories:
Space Exploration
Language: Arabic
Script: Arabic
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons
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