NASA has released a batch of
new images in its Hubble Messier Catalogue, giving us fresh looks at galaxies,
nebulae, and more. Almost 250 years ago, French astronomer Charles Messier drew
up a list of 103 major astronomical objects that could be seen from the
Northern Hemisphere. After the Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990,
astronomers began using it to take images of each object.
On March 16, 2018 NASA
announced that 12 new images had been added to the Hubble Messier Catalog,
meaning it has now snapped 93 of the total 110 objects (seven were added
later).
Messier originally drew up
his list so that he could more easily focus on watching comets. He labeled the
most visible astronomical phenomena because he was frustrated that they looked
like comets and caused him to waste time.
Some objects have required
multiple exposures from Hubble to capture the entire object, such as the
Andromeda Galaxy (M31), which required almost 7,400. Using its infrared and
ultraviolet filters, Hubble has also given us a whole new view at some of these
amazing locales. You can check out the 12 new images below, while you can also
see the full Hubble Messier Catalog on Flickr.
M58, located 62 million
light-years from Earth, was one of the first galaxies recognized to have a
spiral shape. NASA, ESA, STScI and D. Maoz (Tel Aviv University/Wise
Observatory)
This is M59, 60 million
light-years from Earth, which is unusual for having a central region that
rotates oppositely to the rest of the galaxy. NASA, ESA, STScI, and W. Jaffe
(Sterrewacht Leiden) and P. Côté (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory)
Found 22,200 light-years
from Earth, the globular cluster M62 is irregularly shaped, possibly owing to
its proximity to our Milky Way. NASA, ESA, STScI, and S. Anderson (University
of Washington) and J. Chaname (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile)
The globular cluster M75
contains about 400,000 stars. It is 13 billion years old and found 67,500
light-years from us. NASA, ESA, STScI, and G. Piotto (Università degli Studi di
Padova) and E. Noyola (Max Planck Institut für extraterrestrische Physik)
 |
The elliptical (or possibly
lenticular) galaxy M86, containing 3,800 globular clusters, is moving towards
us – although it’s still 52 million light-years away. NASA, ESA, STScI, and S.
Faber (University of California, Santa Cruz) and P. Côté (Dominion Astrophysical
Observatory)
|
M88 is found 47 million
light-years away. It’s a spiral galaxy with well-defined and symmetrical arms.
NASA, ESA, STScI and M. Stiavelli (STScI)
The elliptical galaxy M89 is
almost exactly circular. It’s found 50 million light-years from us. NASA, ESA,
STScI, and M. Franx (Universiteit Leiden) and S. Faber (University of
California, Santa Cruz)
This bright and beautiful
spiral galaxy is called M90. Found 59 million light-years away, it contains
about a trillion stars. NASA, ESA, STScI, and V. Rubin (Carnegie Institution of
Washington), D. Maoz (Tel Aviv University/Wise Observatory) and D. Fisher (University
of Maryland)
M95 is a barred spiral
galaxy found 33 million light-years away. Its arms play host to a large amount
of star formation. NASA, ESA, STScI, and D. Calzetti (University of
Massachusetts, Amherst) and R. Chandar (University of Toledo)
M98 is found 44 million
light-years away and has an active nucleus, meaning its core is brighter than
the rest of the galaxy. NASA, ESA, STScI and V. Rubin (Carnegie Institution of
Washington)
Also called the Surfboard
galaxy, M108 is found 46 million light-years away. It gets its name from
appearing edge-on with no apparent bulge or core. NASA, ESA, STScI and G.
Illingworth (University of California, Santa Cruz)
Found 2.7 million
light-years away orbiting the Andromeda galaxy, M110 is an elliptical galaxy
with no arms or regions of star formation. NASA, ESA, STScI and D. Geisler
(Universidad de Concepción)
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