Hubble-Spitzer composite of the galactic centre (full-field): This composite colour infrared image combines the sharp imaging of the Hubble Space Telescope's Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) with colour imagery from a previous Spitzer Space Telescope survey done with its Infrared Astronomy Camera (IRAC). This combination gives a clear picture of the centre of the Milky Way galaxy and reveals a new population of massive stars and new details in the complex structures in the hot ionized gas swirling around the central 300 light-years

Name: Milky Way
Type: Milky Way : Galaxy : Component : Center/Core
Category: Galaxies
Constellation: Sagittarius
Distance: 25000 light years
Release date: 5 January 2009, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, Q.D. Wang (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) and S. Stolovy (Caltech)

Hubble-Spitzer composite of the galactic centre (full-field): This composite colour infrared image combines the sharp imaging of the Hubble Space Telescope's Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) with colour imagery from a previous Spitzer Space Telescope survey done with its Infrared Astronomy Camera (IRAC). This combination gives a clear picture of the centre of the Milky Way galaxy and reveals a new population of massive stars and new details in the complex structures in the hot ionized gas swirling around the central 300 light-years

Name: Milky Way
Type: Milky Way : Galaxy : Component : Center/Core
Category: Galaxies
Constellation: Sagittarius
Distance: 25000 light years
Release date: 5 January 2009, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, Q.D. Wang (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) and S. Stolovy (Caltech)

Hubble Image of Stellar Bow Shock (3 of 4): Resembling a comet streaking across the sky this speedy star is plowing through a region of dense interstellar gas and creating a brilliant arrowhead structure and a trailing tail of glowing gas. The star is one of 14 young runaway stars spotted by the Advanced Camera for Surveys between October 2005 and July 2006.

Name: Stellar Bow Shocks
Type: Milky Way : Star
Category: Stars
Release date: 7 January 2009, 18:20
Credit: NASA, ESA and R. Sahai (NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

Field of optical transient source not visible - November 2005 - January 2006: This picture shows the not visible object SCP 06F6 - a total mystery for astronomers. In 2006 the ESO/NASA Hubble Space Telescope observed an object, which brightend over a period of 100 days and then faded over a similar period. The spectrum of the light from the object did not fit any known supernova types. Even worse, astronomers were not able to trace back the few spectral lines in the light of the object to any known elements which made it impossible to determine the distance of the object. In addition neither a star of the Milky Way nor another galaxy was found at the location of the object. The picture presented here was taken before the object started to brighten up. Otherwise the object would we visible in the very center of the image. Astronomers came up with several explanations for the nature of SC 06F6: It was suggested that SCP 06F6 might be a supernova at an extreme distance. It would also be possible that Hubble observed the collision between an asteroid and a white star, or the collision of a white star and a black hole. Other ideas included the core collapse of a carbon star, a pair-instability supernova or even a complete new kind of supernova. However, the true nature of SCP 06F6 so far stays a mystery.

Name: SCP 06F6
Type: Early Universe : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Supernova
Category: Miscellaneous
Constellation: Bootes
Distance: z=0.14 (redshift)
Release date: 6 January 2009, 18:20
Credit: NASA, ESA and K. Barbary (University of California, Berkeley)

Optical transient SCP 06F6 - 21 May 2006: This picture shows SCP 06F6, which was visible only for about 200 days and which is still a total mysterious object for astronomers. In 2006 the ESO/NASA Hubble Space Telescope observed an object, which  brightend over a period of 100 days and then faded over a similar  period. The spectrum of the light from the object did not fit any known  supernova types. Even worse, astronomers were not able to trace back the  few spectral lines in the light of the object to any known elements  which made it impossible to determine the distance of the object. In  addition neither a star of the Milky Way nor another galaxy was found at  the location of the object. The picture presented here was taken during the period, the object brightened up. Astronomers came up with several explanations for the nature of SC  06F6: It was suggested that SCP 06F6 might be a supernova at an extreme  distance. It would also be possible that Hubble observed the collision  between an asteroid and a white star, or the collision of a white star  and a black hole. Other ideas included the core collapse of a carbon  star, a pair-instability supernova or even a complete new kind of  supernova. However, the true nature of SCP 06F6 so far stays a mystery.

Name: SCP 06F6
Type: Early Universe : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Supernova
Category: Miscellaneous
Constellation: Bootes
Distance: z=0.14 (redshift)
Release date: 6 January 2009, 18:20
Credit: NASA, ESA and K. Barbary (University of California, Berkeley)

Spitzer-Hubble-Chandra Composite of M101: This image of the spiral galaxy Messier 101 is a composite of views from the Spitzer Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory. Each wavelength region shows different aspects of celestial objects and often reveals new objects that could not otherwise be studied. The red colour shows Spitzer's view in infrared light. It highlights the heat emitted by dust lanes in the galaxy where stars can form. The yellow colour is Hubble's view in visible light. Most of this light comes from stars, and they trace the same spiral structure as the dust lanes. The blue color shows Chandra's view in X-ray light. Sources of X-rays include million-degree gas, exploded stars, and material colliding around black holes. Such composite images allow astronomers to see how features seen in one wavelength match up with those seen in another wavelength. It's like seeing with a camera, night vision goggles, and X-ray vision all at once.

Name: Messier 101, NGC 4547, Pinwheel
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral
Category: Galaxies
Constellation: Ursa Major
Distance: 22 million light years
Release date: 10 February 2009, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, CXC, SSC and STScI

M101 composite image: Spitzer data (red component): The red colour is Spitzer's view in infared light. Most of this  light comes the galaxy's delicate dust lanes. Such dense dust  clouds are where new stars can form. In this image, dust warmed by the  light of hot, young stars glows red. Astronomers can use infrared light to examine the dust clouds where stars are born

Name: Messier 101, NGC 4547, Pinwheel
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral
Category: Galaxies
Constellation: Ursa Major
Distance: 22 million light years
Release date: 10 February 2009, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, CXC, SSC and STScI

M101 composite image: Hubble data (green component): The yellow colour is Hubble's view in visible light. Most of this light comes from stars, and they trace the same spiral structure as the dust lanes.

Name: Messier 101, NGC 4547, Pinwheel
Type: Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral
Category: Galaxies
Constellation: Ursa Major
Distance: 22 million light years
Release date: 10 February 2009, 15:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, K. Kuntz (JHU), F. Bresolin (University of Hawaii), J. Trauger (Jet Propulsion Lab.), J. Mould (NOAO), Y.-H. Chu (University of Illinois, Urbana) and STScI