telescope imaging

The European Southern Observatory shared an image of Arp 271, a pair of interacting galaxies known as NGC 5426 and NGC 5427, captured by the Very Large Telescope in Chile. The picture was the last taken by the VIMOS instrument before it was decommissioned on 24 March 2018, and it is drawing renewed attention from space enthusiasts online.

An amateur astronomer reports that a new 2-inch 5x Barlow lens arrived, but the telescope's focus tube would not extend far enough to reach focus. After adding an extension tube, imaging with the new lens worked. The post captures the common trial-and-error of backyard astrophotography gear setups.

The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope has discovered its first previously unknown comet, designated C/2026 S1 (Euclid). The find was made in images taken between 16 and 24 September 2026 and announced via the Euclid mission team at Caltech. It marks the mission's first comet discovery, adding to Euclid's role surveying the sky beyond its main dark matter and dark energy goals.

The SETI Institute's Picture of the Day highlights a spectacular mosaic of the Orion Nebula, first released in 2006, one of the most detailed portraits ever made of the nearby stellar nursery. Combining observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, the image reveals more than 3,000 stars embedded in clouds of gas and dust.

An amateur astrophotographer has published a 3.4-hour exposure of the Monkey Head Nebula (NGC 2174) in northern Orion, taken with a Seestar S50 Pro smart telescope in equatorial mode. The image was drizzled 2x and processed in dual-band HOO, revealing a blue O-III core and copper hydrogen-alpha ridges. Space enthusiasts are sharing and discussing the result.

Amateur astrophotographers are showing off new images of the Spider Nebula (IC 417), the Fly Nebula (NGC 1931), and the open clusters Stock 8 and M38 in the constellation Auriga. One deep-sky image combined roughly 3.4 hours of exposure using a small smart telescope, drawing attention from space and photography enthusiasts admiring what compact equipment can now capture.

An amateur astronomer has produced a detailed image of the Andromeda Galaxy by stacking more than 1,900 frames taken over roughly nine hours across multiple nights. Using a Seestar S30 Pro in equatorial mode and 2x drizzling, the shot resolves inner dust lanes, satellite galaxy M32 and dwarf galaxy M110. Space enthusiasts are sharing it as an example of what compact smart telescopes can now achieve.

BBC Science Focus has published a gallery of 18 unusual space images, ranging from sights captured by space telescopes to pranks astronauts have played aboard the International Space Station. The collection highlights some of the weirdest visuals ever taken in orbit and beyond, and readers are sharing it as light, fascinating viewing for space enthusiasts.

A Hubble Space Telescope image of Arp 194, also known as UGC 6945, is drawing attention online. The interacting galaxy group's upper component shows two nuclei in the early stages of merging, linked by trails of blue super star clusters, while the lower component is a single large galaxy. Space enthusiasts are sharing the picture for its striking view of galaxies colliding.

A Czech amateur astrophotographer has published a new image of SH2-126, known as the Great Lizard Nebula, a faint emission nebula in the constellation Lacerta. The picture was captured with a SkyWatcher 254/1000 telescope, a QHY163M camera and an EQ6-R Pro mount, combining over 17 hours of exposures in luminance, red, green, blue and hydrogen-alpha filters. The image is shared via the Czech astrofotky.cz gallery.

A Hubble Space Telescope image of Arp 81, a pair of interacting galaxies known as NGC 6621 and NGC 6622, is drawing attention. The two galaxies are midway through a merger, with a recent encounter pulling a long tail of material out of NGC 6621 that wraps behind the galaxy. The collision has also triggered concentrated star formation, making the pair a striking example of galactic interaction.

An amateur astrophotographer has published a deep-sky image of the Fossil Footprint Nebula (NGC 1491) in the constellation Perseus, built from more than 2.5 hours of exposure using a Seestar S50 Pro smart telescope in equatorial mode. The image was drizzled 2x to bring out the dense H-alpha ionization 'claw' carved by the massive O-type star BD+50°886 at the nebula's heart.

Space enthusiasts are sharing images and details of the Heart Nebula (Sh2-190), an emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia roughly 7,500 light-years from Earth. It contains the open cluster IC 1805 at its centre, along with numerous dark nebulae, and takes its name from its heart-like shape when photographed through telescopes.

The James Webb Space Telescope has released a striking new image of the Lion Nebula, capturing the remains of a dying star with a dense stellar core as it sheds its outer layers into space. Astronomy enthusiasts are sharing and discussing the portrait, praising the telescope's ability to reveal fine structures in stellar remnants and adding to a string of celebrated Webb observations.

The James Webb Space Telescope has produced new images of a nebula in the Leo constellation, showing a dying star in striking detail. The French-language article notes the scene invites pareidolia, with observers seeing a face in the cosmic structures. Space enthusiasts are sharing the photographs and marvelling once again at the telescope's ability to reveal star formation and death.

The James Webb Space Telescope has released a striking new image of a nebula about 5,000 light-years from Earth, formed by the dying breaths of a star. The glowing gas clouds form a shape resembling a lion's head. The portrait differs markedly from earlier images of the same object taken by the Hubble telescope, and astronomy enthusiasts are sharing the comparison widely.

Amateur astronomy enthusiasts are sharing close-up images and footage of the Moon taken with smartphones, highlighting how accessible astrophotography has become. The posts, tagged under astronomy and smartphone astronomy, show crater detail achievable without specialized telescopic camera equipment, drawing interest from science communities online.

An amateur astrophotographer has shared a deep-sky image of the Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405), built from more than 5.5 hours of exposure using a Seestar S50 Pro smart telescope in equatorial mode. The picture, processed with 2x drizzling, resolves hydrogen-alpha gas channels and dark dust rifts around the runaway star AE Aurigae, drawing appreciation from the astrophotography community.

An amateur astronomer has shared a deep-sky image of the California Nebula (NGC 1499) built from more than seven hours of dual-band exposure data collected over two nights. The shot was taken with a Seestar S30 Pro smart telescope in equatorial mode and processed with 2x drizzle to bring out the glowing hydrogen-alpha shock front sculpted by the star Menkhib.

Engineers working on NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope report the observatory has exceeded expectations after microscopic mirror adjustments sharpened its view of the universe. By moving a mirror a fraction of the width of a human hair, the team dramatically improved image precision ahead of the telescope's mission to survey vast swathes of the sky. Space enthusiasts and science outlets are sharing the news, praising the precision engineering behind the milestone.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has released a new image capturing stellar jets — narrow streams of gas ejected by young forming stars. The observation offers a detailed look at the early stages of star birth and is drawing attention among astronomy and space science enthusiasts sharing the image across social platforms.