Hubble✓

Hubble (along with ground-based telescopes) revealed that the expansion rate of our universe is accelerating! Soon, @NASARoman will study the “dark energy” behind this expansion with its large field of view and infrared vision.

Its treasure trove of data will include thousands of exploding stars and millions of galaxies, tracing the universe’s expansion across cosmic history! Hubble's key observations led to dark energy's discovery (even helping earn a Nobel prize in physics!) and the mission will work with Roman to continue investigating this enigma:

@NASARoman As we gear up for its first images, we'll share more here on how Roman and Hubble bring different superpowers to astronomy:

RT @NASAScience_: NASA is seeking industry input on future in-space servicing options for @NASAHubble, including a possible orbit boost to extend its science mission, future servicing capabilities, or end-of-mission planning. Responses to the RFI are due Nov. 30:

Cosmic pixie dust 🪄 This new Hubble image shows M30, which is a globular cluster – a roughly spherical collection of stars held together by their mutual gravitational attraction. Find out more:

📍IRAS 05437+2502 🏠 Constellation Taurus 🌈 Visible & near-infrared light As a “snapshot” observation, this image of a cosmic site full of dark clouds and bright stars was slotted into Hubble's busy schedule as a way to maximize efficiency:

The ultimate group project: studying worlds beyond our own. As we get closer to the first images from @NASARoman, a long list of science objectives await. One way Roman will team up with Hubble is by the different ways the missions will study exoplanets. ⬇️

Roman will likely find hundreds of thousands exoplanets with its remarkable instruments; meanwhile, Hubble’s capabilities allow for analysis of exoplanet atmospheres. This work is part of NASA's search for life elsewhere in the universe. Plus, Roman's coronograph instrument will be able to directly image some larger exoplanets.

@NASARoman Explore more of Hubble's role in exoplanet science here ⬇️

Where's the oxygen? After researchers studied nearby dwarf galaxies, they realized much of the oxygen they expected to see was missing. Galactic winds from supernova explosions are apparently more effective at removing oxygen than current models predict:

Happy Hubble Halloween! This new image of the Cat's Head Nebula shows a star-forming region with an eerily feline resemblance. Dare to learn more? Start here:

NASA issued a Request for Information to learn more about industry capabilities for in-space servicing to support the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope:

Beware… space cat! 🐱 Something spooky lurks about 7,500 light-years away. The watchful eyes of Hubble and @NASAWebb captured the Cat’s Head Nebula, just in time for Halloween Eve. This cosmic cat is in the process of forming new stars:

RT @NASAGoddard: History will never forget the name Captain Picard. Thank you for inspiring the Next Generation of explorers. ✨

Cat got your telescope? 🐾 Venture into the Cat's Head Nebula, as seen by Hubble and @NASAWebb. Both telescopes observed the nebula across a wide spectrum of light, revealing complementary data on its cosmic activity:

Collectively called 2MASX J09133888-1019196, these two galaxies are in the early stages of merging, pulled in by their mutual gravitational attraction. They're still separated by ~130,000 light-years, and reside in the constellation Hydra:

RT @NASAGoddard: Eye see you 👁️ The sonification of the Helix Nebula scans from left to right, where redder colors correspond with lower pitches while bluer colors are associated with higher pitches. It has been called “The Eye of Sauron" for its uncanny and all-seeing appearance.

Thank you, Swift! ❤️ Though the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's mission is at an end, its legacy and extensive collection of data will remain. Swift's discoveries, and the work completed in tandem with Hubble, advanced astrophysics in so many ways. Learn more ⬇️

Science operations for our Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory have now ended. With the spacecraft orbiting less than 171 miles (275 kilometers) above Earth, atmospheric drag prevents the satellite’s telescopes from steadily gazing at their cosmic targets. 🧵

A gorgeous galaxy marks the spot in this image, but the real treasure is the gravitational lens in the lower-right corner, where a distant background galaxy is being magnified and distorted by the gravity of a closer galaxy:

We know our universe is expanding. But telescopes like Hubble measure an expansion rate that’s faster than predicted, based on models of the early universe. Here’s how @NASARoman will join the quest on cracking the case of this “Hubble Tension” ⬇️

RT @NASAAmes: A cosmic butterfly 🦋 In this shimmering view captured by @NASAHubble, the complexities of the Twin Jet Nebula are seen in striking detail, with lobes of material stretching outward while jets of gas stream from a central star system.

Hubble observed this lens in preparation for science with the recently launched @NASARoman. While Hubble can only view these gravitational lenses one at a time, Roman’s wide view of the sky will provide a greater sample of these lenses!

Even galaxies need to vent. Because of a prior gravitational interaction with a neighboring galaxy, M82 undergoes super intense star formation. This image shows its "exhaust system" in action, regulating the galaxy's growth by venting gas outwards. ⬇️

Stellar ingredients 🧑‍🍳 This Hubble view shows a grouping of cosmic dust, made up of a concentration of elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and throughout the universe. Learn more about these "Bok globules":

In this image, @ChandraXray's data (blue) highlight superwinds of million-degree gas blowing out of the galactic disk, while Hubble's optical light (yellow, orange, and white) shows the galaxy shape, and @NASAWebb and Spitzer observations detail infrared dust emission (red):