The Best Space Images of 2023

‘Mothra’ and a ‘Christmas Tree’

Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Jose M. Diego (IFCA), Jordan C. J. D’Silva (UWA), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Jake Summers (ASU), Rogier Windhorst (ASU), Haojing Yan (University of Missouri)

A panchromatic view of the galaxy cluster MACS0416—a group of galaxies that sits about 4.3 billion light-years from Earth—was captured with data from the Webb and Hubble space telescopes. The cluster is nicknamed the Christmas Tree Galaxy Cluster for its smattering of color, and it features a star named Mothra, which you can read about here.

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An image of the gas cloud around Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of our galaxy, with arrows showing the cone-shaped region where winds have blown gas away from the black hole

After Decades of Searching, Scientists Make a Major Breakthrough in the Mystery Surrounding Our Galaxy’s Black Hole

For 50 years, astronomers have been searching for evidence of winds emanating from the black hole Sagittarius A*. Now, they finally think they have an answer.

Space & Spaceflight Ellyn Lapointe Oct 11

An Interstellar Comet Is Here, and Its Age Is Mind-Bending

The object appears to be older than our solar system itself.

Space & Spaceflight Ellyn Lapointe Jul 11

The Milky Way Might Not Smash Into the Andromeda Galaxy After All, New Simulation Indicates

A recent paper reveals we're almost certainly going to collide with a galaxy in the next couple billion years, but it's not the one we thought.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi Jun 2

The first-ever image of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.

Scientists Are Creeping Closer to Colorized Black Hole Images

Using multiple wavelengths and some atmospheric jiu-jitsu, astronomers are changing how we see the universe.

Space & Spaceflight Isaac Schultz May 28

The Phantom Galaxy (background) and a simulation of its turbulence.

Most Detailed Simulation of Magnetic Turbulence in Space Is Surprisingly Beautiful

A new model shows how magnetism shapes stars, cosmic rays, and even Earth’s space weather.

Space & Spaceflight Isaac Schultz May 23

Rogue Pulsar Snaps Galactic Bone in Milky Way’s Spine

NASA's Chandra Observatory recently captured an X-ray image that helped identify a dramatic break in one of the galaxy's longest filaments.

Space & Spaceflight Passant Rabie May 10