Astronomical Collection (#90)

Space brain

Galileo spacecraft burning up in Jupiters upper atmosphere, artwork. The Galileo spacecraft was launched in 1989, and entered orbit around Jupiter in 1995 to study the Jovian system

HST during the last servicing EVA, STS-61
Servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. The vast Hubble Space Telescope (HST) seen in the cargo bay of Shuttle Endeavour during the last spacewalk of the servicing mission, STS-61

Planet formation, early solar system
Planet formation in the early solar system, artwork. Early in the life of the solar system there was a large amount of debris orbiting in a disc around the newly-formed Sun

Hubble servicing
Hubble Telescope servicing. Astronauts perform an extravehicular activity (EVA or spacewalk) during a space shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)

Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii
Mauna Kea Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA. One of the two American Keck dome telecopes is on the right and the Japanese Subaru telescope is on the left

Supernova neutrino detector. Tunnel A at the Gran Sasso Laboratories in Abruzzo, Italy. In 2003, this tunnel system is the largest underground laboratory for particle astrophysics in the world

Crescent Moon over Vancouver
Crescent Moon, seen above the Vancouver skyline, Canada. This is a waxing crescent Moon, halfway between a new Moon and the first quarter (half Moon)

La Silla Observatory

Artists impression of Extreme UV Explorer (EUVE)
Artists impression of NASAs Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) astronomical satellite. EUVE will carry four UV telescopes

Artists impression of the Hubble Space Telescope
Artists impression of the Space Telescope, which is due to be launched by the space shuttle in 1986, in Earth orbit. Two large solar panels on each side of the telescope cylinder provide power

Planetary formation, computer artwork
Planetary formation. Computer artwork of numerous small rocky bodies (planetessimals) accreting to form a planet in the early Solar System

Photomultiplier tube (PMT) held by technician Giuseppe Dipietro of the Gran Sasso Laboratory. 2200 PMTs are incorporated into the Borexino neutrino detector (not seen)

Dark matter detector. Technician Cristina Cozzini of the Gran Sasso Laboratory holding a sapphire crystal encased in copper

Comet spacecraft
Comet exploration spacecraft, computer artwork. The unmanned probe (upper frame) is approaching a comet, a body of ice and dust from the outer parts of the solar system

Lead for neutrino detector shield. Technician Carlo Bucci of the Gran Sasso Laboratory holding a bar of ancient Roman lead weighing more than 30 kilograms

Luna 16 spacecraft. Luna 16, also known as Lunnik 16, was the first unmanned space mission that sent out a robotic probe to land on the Moon and collect a sample from it

Hubble telescope
Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in the Space Shuttles cargo bay after servicing. The telescopes array of golden solar panels can be clearly seen whilst the thin outline of

Moon-Jupiter conjunction. Optical image of a half Moon (far right) with Jupiter (far left). A close approach in the night sky, like this, is called a conjunction

Earth and Sun. Computer artwork of the Earth (right) and Sun (left). The Earth is the third plant from the Sun in the Solar system, orbiting it at a distance of about 150 million kilometres

Space mirror. Computer artwork of a vast mirror orbiting the Earth. Researchers hope to be able to develop mirrors built from materials that would be lightweight enough to be used in space

Outer solar system formation. Artwork showing the formation of the unusual orbits of bodies in the outer solar system. The inset shows three stages in the formation of the solar system

COBE satellite
Artists impression of COBE, NASAs Cosmic Background Explorer satellite. Launched on 18 November 1989, COBE is a fundamental astronomy mission to investigate the cosmic background radiation & answer

New born sun
Solar nebula, artwork. T. Tauri stage of a solar nebula. This illustration depicts how the solar nebula may have appeared about 5 billion years ago. The newborn sun may have undergone a T

Artwork of IRAS in orbit
Artists impression of IRAS in orbit. The Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) was launched on 25 January 1983. Its primary instrument was a 60cm telescope

Life on Europa. Computer artwork of a cryobot probe (lower left, silver) discovering life below the ice of Europa, a moon of Jupiter (upper centre)

Early solar system. Artwork showing the collision of rocky bodies (planetesimals) in the early solar system. Our solar system is thought to have formed around 4.5 billion years ago

Planets and Sun with scale
Planets and the Sun next to a scale, artwork. The planets of our solar system have been drawn to scale and placed next to each other on a grid

Radio antenna on a Soviet ship
Radio antenna on the deck of Soviet ship Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov, 1971. The ball-like protective cover is opening to reveal a radio telescope used for observing radio signals from space

Effelsberg radio telescope, Germany
Effelsberg radio telescope. Inaugurated in 1972, this 100-metre radio telescope is one of the worlds largest fully steerable radio telescopes. It operates at wavelengths from about 7mm to 90cm

Radio telescopes. Composite image of the moon over radio telescopes and city lights

Artists impression of Hubble Telescope in orbit

Artwork of Hubble Space Telescope and Eagle Nebula
Hubble Space Telescope. Artwork of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in Earth orbit, facing the giant gas and dust pillars of the Eagle Nebula (M16)

Sun with sunspots over four days, from 2nd to 5th April 2006. Sunspots are dark regions on the surface of the Sun. They are seen moving from left to right due to the rotation of the Sun

Uranian ring. Computer artwork of one of Uranus rings. The rings of Uranus are unique as they are composed of only a single layer of rocks and contain very few dust-sized particles

Comet, 1664
Comet. Historical artwork of a comet seen at Nuremberg, Germany, every night between 14th and 24th December 1664. This comet was one of the brightest of the time, and visible all across Europe

Comet and Sun
Comet. Computer artwork of a comet near the Sun. Comets form when bodies of ice and dust, left over from the formation of the solar system, have their orbits altered to pass near the Sun

Phobos, spacecraft image. Phobos, the larger of the two moons orbiting the planet Mars, is an irregularly shaped, heavily cratered, airless chunk of rock. It measures 19 by 21 by 27 kilometres

Solar eclipse sequence
Total solar eclipse. Sequence of images of the Sun during a total solar eclipse. Running from centre left to upper right, the sequence shows the disc of the Moon gradually moving over the disc of

Ice volcanoes on Charon, artwork
Ice volcanoes erupting on Charon, artwork. Charon is the largest moon of the dwarf planet Pluto (in the sky in the background)

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Astronomical wonders unfold before our eyes, revealing the vastness and beauty of the cosmos. From the iconic Pale Blue Dot captured by Voyager 1 to the mesmerizing Hubble Ultra Deep Field 2012 image, we are reminded of our place in this infinite expanse. The historic 1919 solar eclipse confirmed Einstein's theory of general relativity, forever altering our understanding of space-time. Gazing up at the night sky, we find solace in familiar constellations like The Plough asterism in Ursa Major and Orions belt, guiding us through the celestial tapestry. Joseph Wright's Orrery brings to life a mechanical representation of our solar system, reminding us of its intricate workings. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field galaxies captivate with their sheer number and diversity, showcasing countless cosmic marvels waiting to be explored. The Messier objects present a full set of celestial treasures for astronomers to uncover and study. Within Orion's nebula lies a stellar nursery where new stars are born amidst swirling gas clouds—a breathtaking sight that ignites curiosity about the origins of life itself. Earthrise photograph immortalizes humanity's first glimpse at our home from space—an artwork that evokes awe and unity among all who behold it. The Pillars of Creation stand tall within the Eagle Nebula—a testament to nature's ability to sculpt extraordinary formations over millions of years. Nebula Sh 2-106 reveals its vibrant colors through an exquisite HST image, captivating us with its ethereal beauty. As we continue exploring these astronomical wonders, let us embrace both humbleness and wonderment—knowing that there is still so much left undiscovered beyond what meets our eyes.