Hubble image of Messier 60 and M60-UCD1: This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the massive elliptical galaxy Messier 60 (also called M60, or NGC 4649). M60 is 120 thousand light-years across and contains an estimated 400 billion stars. Highlighted in the inset is the dwarf galaxy M60-UDC1 which orbits the giant elliptical. Lying about 50 million light-years away, M60-UCD1 is a tiny galaxy with a diameter of 300 light-years — just 1/500th of the diameter of the Milky Way! Despite its size it is pretty crowded, containing some 140 million stars. The dwarf galaxy may actually be the stripped remnant of a larger galaxy that was torn apart during a close encounter with Messier 60. Circumstantial evidence for this comes from the recent discovery of a monster black hole, which is not visible in this image, at the centre of the dwarf. The black hole makes up 15 percent of the mass of the entire galaxy, making it much too big to have formed inside a dwarf galaxy.

Name: M 60, NGC 4649
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Elliptical
Category: Galaxies
Distance: 50 million light years
Release date: 17 September 2014, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA and A. Seth (University of Utah, USA)

Ultracompact dwarf galaxy M60-UCD1 as viewed by Hubble: This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the dwarf galaxy M60-UDC1. Lying about 50 million light-years away, M60-UCD1 is a tiny galaxy with a diameter of 300 light-years — just 1/500th of the diameter of the Milky Way! Despite its size it is pretty crowded, containing some 140 million stars. The dwarf galaxy may actually be the stripped remnant of a larger galaxy that was torn apart during a close encounter with its neighbour, a massive galaxy called Messier 60. Circumstantial evidence for this comes from the recent discovery of a monster black hole, which is not visible in this image, at the centre of the dwarf. The black hole makes up 15 percent of the mass of the entire galaxy, making it much too big to have formed inside a dwarf galaxy.

Name: M60-UCD1
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Size : Dwarf
Category: Galaxies
Constellation: Virgo
Release date: 17 September 2014, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA and A. Seth (University of Utah, USA)

Hubble image of Arp 116 (annotated): This image shows Arp 116, which is composed of a giant elliptical galaxy known as Messier 60, and a much smaller spiral galaxy, NGC 4647. Also included in the image is an annotated pointer to their even smaller neighbour M60-UCD1. Lying about 50 million light-years away, M60-UCD1 is a tiny galaxy with a diameter of 300 light-years — just 1/500th of the diameter of the Milky Way! Despite its size it is pretty crowded, containing some 140 million stars. An international team of astronomers have found a supermassive black hole at the centre of M60-UCD1 with the mass of 20 million Suns. The original version of this image can be found here.

Name: M 60, M60-UCD1, Messier 60
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : EllipticalLocal Universe : Galaxy : Size : DwarfLocal Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : Pair
Category: Galaxies
Distance: 50 million light years
Release date: 17 September 2014, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage(STScI/AURA)

Artist illustration of planet HAT-P-11b: This is an artist's concept of the silhouette of the extrasolar planet HAT-P-11b as it passes its parent star. The planet was observed as it crossed in front of its star in order to learn more about its atmosphere. In this method, known as transmission or absorption spectroscopy, starlight filters through the rim of the planet's atmosphere and into the telescope. If molecules like water vapour are present, they absorb some of the starlight, leaving distinct signatures in the light that reaches our telescopes. Using this technique, astronomers discovered clear skies and steamy water vapour on the planet.

Name: HAT-P-11b
Type: Milky Way : Planet
Category: Stars
Release date: 24 September 2014, 19:00
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Artist illustration showing clear skies on planet HAT-P-11b: This artist's concept shows what the sky may look like on other planets. On the left is a planet with an atmosphere of thick clouds and on the right a planet with clear skies. The clear sky on the right may well resemble the skies of planet HAT-P-11b. This planet, a Neptune-sized body orbiting a distant star, has recently been studied and found to have clear skies. This is very useful as clouds in the atmospheres of planets can block the view to underlying molecules that reveal information about a planet's composition and history.

Name: HAT-P-11b
Type: Milky Way : Planet
Category: Stars
Release date: 24 September 2014, 19:00
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Ground-based image of the area around HAT-P-11: This image, taken with ground-based telescopes, shows the region of sky containing the star HAT-P-11. Not visible here is a Neptune-sized planet named HAT-P-11b, which orbits the star. Astronomers have discovered clear skies and steamy water vapour on the planet. It is the smallest planet ever for which water vapour has been detected.

Name: HAT-P-11b
Type: Milky Way : PlanetMilky Way : Star
Category: Stars
Constellation: Cygnus
Release date: 24 September 2014, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, Digitized Sky Survey 2 Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin