We measure the extremely long distances between things in space by light years. A light year is the distance that light travels in one Earth year. Light travels at about 300,000 kilometres per second.

An unusual x-ray signal from the Helix Nebula, first detected in 19180, could stem from a star destroying a nearby planet. Credit: NASA/CXC/A. Hobart ...

Messier 77, captured by Hubble, also known as the Squid Galaxy, is a swirling spiral 45 million light-years away in Cetus, the constellation named for a whale. It was discovered in 1780 by Pierre ...

Very massive stars are cosmic "rock stars" that live fast, die young and leave black holes in their place. During this ...

The astronomers who operate powerful Vera C. Rubin observatory released debut images June 23, 2025, showcasing just exactly ...

A hundred years ago, astronomer Edwin Hubble revealed a universe of galaxies that existed beyond ours. His influence in astronomy continues to this day.

In just over 10 hours of test observations, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory captured millions of celestial objects, opening the ...

Astronomers are excited about the first test images released today from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which show the ...

Galaxies shine in a rainbow of emissions from gas, dust, and stars. Each of these building blocks emits light at specific ...

The Sculptor galaxy is similar in many respects to our Milky Way. It is about the same size and mass, with a similar spiral ...

NASA has just released a new documentary about the most powerful space telescope ever built, and you can watch it now.

From sparkling galaxies to gargantuan nebulae spanning thousands of light years across, check out these 7 rare images of universe captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.