Image of the Month

Description:

07/07/10 - 04:20 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

King Edwards School

This image captures the edge of the Moon during its crescent phase. The terminator (the line between dark and light) is just to the right of shot, which is why we can see long shadows being cast from the crater walls.

Description:

11/06/10 - 02:00 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias

This detailed image of the planetary nebula M57, also known as the Ring Nebula, shows the ejected layers of a dying star's outer atmosphere. The shell of discarded material is mostly made up of hydrogen and helium gas.

Description:

24/05/10 - 03:27 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

Oakwood Technology College

Here we see the detailed central region of the Whirlpool Galaxy. Also known as NGC 5194, this is classic example of a spiral galaxy. The clumpy regions in the emerging spiral arms mark out regions where new stars are being created.

Description:

06/04/10 - 01:06 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

NSO Staff

This smattering of stars is actually an irregular class of galaxy called NGC 5204, and is located in the constellation of Ursa Major. Astronomers believe that NGC 5204 is in the later stages of becoming a spiral galaxy.

Description:

23/03/10 - 22:55 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

St Clere's School

This image of the planet Saturn shows surface weather bands caused by strong winds in its upper atmosphere. Saturn's rings are made of billions of tiny chunks of ice and dust, and are just 30 metres thick, but around 275,000 km wide.

Description:

10/02/10 - 02:05 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

Fort Pitt Grammar School

Here we have the barred spiral galaxy NGC 3507, which is around 45 million light-years away. Although the galaxy looks like it has two bright central bulges, the smaller one is actually a foreground star, which is just 550 light-years away.

Description:

25/01/10 - 21:47 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

Our Lady of Sion School

Here we see a nice image of Mars, taken a few days before opposition - the other side of Earth to the Sun. The image shows lots of surface detail, including a polar region (left) that is coated in a bright layer of frozen carbon dioxide.

Description:

06/12/09 - 22:23 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

St George's Preparatory School

Here we have the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1637. With the galaxy appearing face-on to us, we can see the spiral arms structure clearly. NGC 1637 is located around 25 million light-years away in the constellation of Eridanus.

Description:

28/11/09 - 21:24 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

Llangatwg Comprehensive School

This image of the Moon's surface shows a nice variety of features. On the right you can see a mountain range running north to south, whilst to the bottom left we have the edge of a dark Mare or lunar sea. Craters can be seen throughout.

Description:

25/10/09 - 05:57 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias

Here we have a barred spiral galaxy, known to its friends as NGC 4051. The bright knobbly areas you can see in the spiral arms of the galaxy are due to star-birth regions that contain hot young stars. NGC 4051 is thought to contain a supermassive black hole.

Description:

25/09/09 - 20:11 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

Home Educator, Cambridge

This image of the Moon shows the region close to the terminator - the line between light and dark. The shallow angle of the incoming sunlight means that features, such as craters or mountains, cast long shadows across the lunar surface, which gives us a better sense of depth.

Description:

26/08/09 - 01:26 GMT

Liverpool Telescope

Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias

This object is commonly known as the Bubble Nebula (or NGC 7635). The bubble is created by the outflow from a massive hot star expanding into the surrounding cloud of gas. We have used false colours to pick out more detail.