space

Webb surfs the cosmos

Webb Finds That Many Old, Distant Galaxies Look Like Surfboards

While the James Webb Space Telescope has been busy helping scientists solve some of the greatest mysteries of the early Universe, the powerful telescope has also found that many distant galaxies have flattened oval disk and tube-like shapes, unlike the spiral and elliptical structures that are more typically seen in closer galaxies.

Webb helps scientists answer one of the most persistent questions about the nature of the early Universe.

Webb Answers One of the Early Universe’s Biggest Questions

While the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has delivered many beautiful images, its primary mission is to probe the early Universe and help humanity solve some of the most significant questions it faces. Webb has delivered on this promise by revealing, for the first time, what is in the local environment of galaxies in the very earliest days of the Universe.

The Best James Webb Space Telescope Photos of the Year (2023)

The Best James Webb Space Telescope Photos of 2023

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has wrapped up its first full year of scientific operations, and beyond "breaking" cosmology, the telescope has also delivered some of the most spectacular photos of deep space ever seen.

PetaPixel favorite stories 2023

Our Favorite PetaPixel Stories of 2023

This year has been a fascinating one in the world of photography, and like every year, it was full of incredible highs, devastating lows, and everything in between.

NASA Fermi

14 Years of Gamma Radiation in Space

NASA has created an incredible timelapse movie that condenses 14 years of data acquired by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope into six minutes of colorful cosmic rays.

Purple swirls and stars as found in star cluster IC 348.

Webb Identifies a Tiny Brown Dwarf That Defies Explanation

Even as telescopes and observatories uncover more details about space, it remains mysterious. One puzzle revolves around the "smallest object that can form in a star-like manner," according to NASA. With the help of the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have identified a new record holder for that category: a free-floating brown dwarf.

'Where Parallel Lines Converge' music of the Milky Way

NASA Milky Way Photo Turned Into Sheet Music You Can Play

Although sophisticated telescopes like the Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble, and Spitzer have delivered people a more advanced understanding of the cosmos, the night sky and its infinite reach continue to enchant and amaze people from all walks of life, including artists.