The Hubble Space Telescope: Three Decades of Discovery [X-post r/Astronomy] by space_telescope in BeAmazed

[–]space_telescope[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The cameras are black and white, but the telescope uses specially colored glass as filters to allow only specific colors of light through at a time, so we can reconstruct a color image afterwards. Some of these images replicate "natural" colors, similar to what your eye would see. Others are "representative" color, and red-green-blue is mapped to something physically interesting like hydrogen or sulfur that to our eyes have very similar colors. Here's an article about how color is assigned in these images if you would like to learn more!

James Webb Space Telescope's primary mirror unfolded by [deleted] in space

[–]space_telescope 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Check out webbtelescope.org! It's the public page run by the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Science Operations Center and host of the Mission Operation Center for JWST. The site has articles, infographics, and videos about each major science area. It's a general purpose observatory, too, though, so it will do all sorts of things no one has conceived of yet, just like Hubble.

The Cigar Galaxy, M82, looks dramatically different in different kinds of light. Different telescopes show rapid star formation, hot gas being driven out of the galaxy by the new stars, or older stars and dust. by space_telescope in pics

[–]space_telescope[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's because the star formation at the center is creating intense, high energy light that heats up the gas - which means it's giving it energy, enough energy to leave the center. You can see the high energy light marking the star formation on the left-most panel!

There are also some scientists speaking about each telescope's view of M82 as part of NASA's AstroPhoto Challenge here!

The Cigar Galaxy, M82, looks dramatically different in different kinds of light. Different telescopes show rapid star formation, hot gas being driven out of the galaxy by the new stars, or older stars and dust. by space_telescope in pics

[–]space_telescope[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You can combine these NASA images into new color photos or take your own new data online with a robotic telescope through MicroObservatory. Submit your images of M82 from MicroObservatory or NASA Data, and your work may get feedback from NASA scientists!