Best space photos of 2023 – including ‘giant ring’ around icy Uranus and Milky Way’s ‘hidden womb’

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NASA’S James Webb Space Telescope has taken some outstanding pictures this year.

We’ve rounded up some of the best space images that were released over the past 12 months.

RINGS AROUND URANUS

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This image of Uranus reveals its ringsCredit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; image pro

In December, Nasa revealed a stunning image of Uranus shining brightly against the darkness of space.

It’s an updated version of a photo released earlier in 2023 with new “wavelength coverage” that reveals extra details.

The clear look at Uranus’ rings is a key highlight of the photo.

Often the planet just looks like a blue ringless dot to stargazers.

MILKY WAY’S WOMB

This image shows an area of the Milky Way which acts like a space womb birthing stars

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This image shows an area of the Milky Way which acts like a space womb birthing starsCredit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Samuel Crowe (UVA)

This photo shows a whopping 500,000 stars from our Milky Way galaxy densely packed together with a glittering blue hue.

It specifically shows the galactic center of the Milky Way which is where new stars form, like a space womb.

BRIGHTEST SUPERNOVA

This supernova happened decades ago but still shines bright

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This supernova happened decades ago but still shines brightCredit: NASA

The JWST observatory captured high-quality shots of the remains of the brightest supernova of the past 420 years with its Near Infrared Camera (NirCam).

In September, new photos of the star that went supernova 36 years ago were revealed with never-before-seen details.

It’s called Supernova 1987A and is located about 168,000 light-years away from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

MIND-BLOWING ASTEROID BELTS

This is a first look at an asteroid belt outside our Solar System in infrared light taken in May 2023

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This is a first look at an asteroid belt outside our Solar System in infrared light taken in May 2023Credit: Reuters

Back in May, an image of the young, bright star Fomalhaut was released, featuring multiple unexpected asteroid belts. 

You can see “nested” belts that extend out to approximately 14 billion miles.

They’re the first photos of asteroid belts snapped outside our Solar System.

30 HOURS OF DEEP SPACE

This rare image features ancient galaxies

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This rare image features ancient galaxiesCredit: NASA, UNCOVER (WANG ET AL., 2023). COMPOSITION: DANI ZEMBA/PENN STATE.

The stunning JWST snap took over 30 hours to capture.

It shows three galaxies coming together to form a “mega-cluster” known as Abell 2744 or Pandora’s Cluster.

The telescope captured long exposures of the galaxies using its NIRCam instrument.

A press release explained: “The second- and fourth-most distant galaxies ever observed have been discovered in a region of space known as Pandora’s Cluster.”



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