Hubble went supernova hunting — and found something unexpected: Space photo of the week

Hubble went supernova hunting — and found something unexpected: Space photo of the week

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(Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Filippenko; Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç)

FAST FACTS

What it is: NGC 6000, a spiral nebula

Where it is: 102 million light-years away in the constellation Scorpius

When it was shared: Sept. 29, 2025

Here’s a story for the ages– or possibly a story of the ages.The yellow informs the story of the center of NGC 6000, where stars are old, little and fairly cool. These stars have actually been shining for billions of years. In astronomy, cool stars are red, while the most popular stars are blue. The latter control the borders of this galaxy, where its spiral arms are filled with stars that are more youthful, hotter and bigger. These stars are cosmic babies.The image, which is likewise offered as a panning videowas produced while Hubble looked for supernova surges– thus the insufficient framing. The aging area telescope targeted the faint radiance of supernovas called SN 2007ch and SN 2010as, stars that took off in 2007 and 2010, respectively.

While imaging NGC 6000, Hubble likewise recorded something else totally. Search the right-hand side of the image, and 4 faint damaged lines can be seen– the course of an asteroid that wandered throughout Hubble’s field of vision as it took 4 long-exposure pictures of NGC 6000. The damaged lines are red and blue since Hubble utilized red and blue filters to gather noticeable light, that makes it much easier for astronomers to compare stars by their colors.

It’s in the constellation Scorpius, which is noticeable in summertime from the Northern Hemisphere, NGC 6000 lies south of the celestial equator, according to The Sky LiveThat suggests it’s more quickly noticeable from the Southern Hemisphere. To glance it needs at least a 10-inch aperture telescope and a dark sky.

For more superb area images, have a look at our Area Photo of the Week archives

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Jamie Carter is a self-employed reporter and routine Live Science factor based in Cardiff, U.K. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners and lectures on astronomy and the natural world. Jamie frequently composes for Space.com, TechRadar.com, Forbes Science, BBC Wildlife publication and Scientific American, and numerous others. He modifies WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.

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