Star cluster surrounds wayward black hole in cannibal galaxy ESO 243-49 (unlabelled): This spectacular edge-on galaxy, called ESO 243-49, is home to an intermediate-mass black hole that may have been purloined from a cannibalised dwarf galaxy. The black hole, with an estimated mass of 50 million Suns, lies above the galactic plane. This is an unlikely place for such a massive back hole to exist, unless it belonged to a small galaxy that was gravitationally torn apart by ESO 243-49.

Name: ESO 243-49, ESO 243-49 HLX-1
Type: Local Universe : Star : Grouping : ClusterLocal Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral
Category: Galaxies
Constellation: Phoenix
Distance: 300 million light years
Release date: 15 February 2012, 16:45
Credit: NASA, ESA, and S. Farrell (University of Sydney, Australia and University of Leicester, UK)

Exoplanet GJ 1214b (artist's impression): GJ1214b, shown in this artist’s view, is a super-Earth orbiting a red dwarf star 40 light-years from Earth. New observations from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope show that it is a waterworld enshrouded by a thick, steamy atmosphere. GJ 1214b represents a new type of planet, like nothing seen in the Solar System or any other planetary system currently known.

Name: GJ 1214b
Type: Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material : Planetary System
Category: Exoplanets
Distance: 40 light years
Release date: 21 February 2012, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, and D. Aguilar (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)

Hubble image of Messier 9: This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the globular cluster Messier 9. Hubble’s image resolves stars right into the centre of the cluster, and clearly shows they have different colours. Redder colours signify lower surface temperatures, while blue stars are extremely hot.

Name: Messier 9
Type: Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster : Globular
Category: Star Clusters
Constellation: Ophiuchus
Distance: 25000 light years
Release date: 16 March 2012, 11:00
Credit: NASA & ESA

Wide-field view of Messier 9 (ground-based image): This image from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 shows a wide-field view of globular cluster Messier 9 and its surroundings, imaged by a ground-based telescope. The dark patches are clouds of interstellar dust. Immediately to the right of Messier 9 is the dark cloud Barnard 64.

Name: Messier 9
Type: Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster : Globular
Category: Star Clusters
Constellation: Ophiuchus
Distance: 25000 light years
Release date: 16 March 2012, 11:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, Digitized Sky Survey 2 (Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin)

Hubble's panoramic view of a star-forming region: 30 Doradus is the brightest star-forming region in our galactic neighbourhood and home to the most massive stars ever seen. The nebula resides 170 000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small, satellite galaxy of our Milky Way. No known star-forming region in our galaxy is as large or as prolific as 30 Doradus. The image comprises one of the largest mosaics ever assembled from Hubble photos and includes observations taken by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys, combined with observations from the European Southern Observatory’s MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope which trace the location of glowing hydrogen and oxygen. The image is being released to celebrate Hubble's 22nd anniversary.

Name: 30 Doradus, Tarantula Nebula
Type: Local Universe : Star : Grouping : Cluster : OpenLocal Universe : Nebula : Type : Star Formation
Category: AnniversaryNebulaeStar Clusters
Constellation: Dorado
Distance: 170000 light years
Release date: 17 April 2012, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, ESO, D. Lennon and E. Sabbi (ESA/STScI), J. Anderson, S. E. de Mink, R. van der Marel, T. Sohn, and N. Walborn (STScI), N. Bastian (Excellence Cluster, Munich), L. Bedin (INAF, Padua), E. Bressert (ESO), P. Crowther (Sheffield), A. de Koter (Amsterdam), C. Evans (UKATC/STFC, Edinburgh), A. Herrero (IAC, Tenerife), N. Langer (AifA, Bonn), I. Platais (JHU) and H. Sana (Amsterdam)

Hubble's panoramic view of a star-forming region: 30 Doradus is the brightest star-forming region in our galactic neighbourhood and home to the most massive stars ever seen. The nebula resides 170 000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small, satellite galaxy of our Milky Way. No known star-forming region in our galaxy is as large or as prolific as 30 Doradus. The image comprises one of the largest mosaics ever assembled from Hubble photos and includes observations taken by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys, combined with observations from the European Southern Observatory’s MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope which trace the location of glowing hydrogen and oxygen. The image is being released to celebrate Hubble's 22nd anniversary.

Name: 30 Doradus, Tarantula Nebula
Type: Local Universe : Star : Grouping : Cluster : OpenLocal Universe : Nebula : Type : Star Formation
Category: AnniversaryNebulaeStar Clusters
Constellation: Dorado
Distance: 170000 light years
Release date: 17 April 2012, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, ESO, D. Lennon and E. Sabbi (ESA/STScI), J. Anderson, S. E. de Mink, R. van der Marel, T. Sohn, and N. Walborn (STScI), N. Bastian (Excellence Cluster, Munich), L. Bedin (INAF, Padua), E. Bressert (ESO), P. Crowther (Sheffield), A. de Koter (Amsterdam), C. Evans (UKATC/STFC, Edinburgh), A. Herrero (IAC, Tenerife), N. Langer (AifA, Bonn), I. Platais (JHU) and H. Sana (Amsterdam)

Hubble's panoramic view of a star-forming region: 30 Doradus is the brightest star-forming region in our galactic neighbourhood and home to the most massive stars ever seen. The nebula resides 170 000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small, satellite galaxy of our Milky Way. No known star-forming region in our galaxy is as large or as prolific as 30 Doradus. The image comprises one of the largest mosaics ever assembled from Hubble photos and includes observations taken by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys, combined with observations from the European Southern Observatory’s MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope which trace the location of glowing hydrogen and oxygen. The image is being released to celebrate Hubble's 22nd anniversary.

Name: 30 Doradus, Tarantula Nebula
Type: Local Universe : Star : Grouping : Cluster : OpenLocal Universe : Nebula : Type : Star Formation
Category: AnniversaryNebulaeStar Clusters
Constellation: Dorado
Distance: 170000 light years
Release date: 17 April 2012, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, ESO, D. Lennon and E. Sabbi (ESA/STScI), J. Anderson, S. E. de Mink, R. van der Marel, T. Sohn, and N. Walborn (STScI), N. Bastian (Excellence Cluster, Munich), L. Bedin (INAF, Padua), E. Bressert (ESO), P. Crowther (Sheffield), A. de Koter (Amsterdam), C. Evans (UKATC/STFC, Edinburgh), A. Herrero (IAC, Tenerife), N. Langer (AifA, Bonn), I. Platais (JHU) and H. Sana (Amsterdam)