Hubble's Top Ten Discoveries

Speeding Universe
How Old Is the Universe?
Early Universe
Alien Planets
Black Holes: Humungous and Among Us
Gamma Ray Bursts
Quasar Mysteries Revealed
Planet Construction Zones
Comet Fragments Bombard Jupiter
Cat's Eye Nebula
More
News
Photos
Speeding Universe
<< Previous   6 of 10   Next >>
The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of a gamma ray explosion [shown at two different scales] on January 23, 1999. At the time it was the most powerful explosion ever recorded.

According to NASA, gammaray bursts "may represent the most powerful explosions in the universe since the Big Bang, the explosive birth of our universe. Hubble images showed that these brief flashes of radiation come from far-flung galaxies that are forming stars at enormously high rates. By pinpointing the host galaxies, Hubble also identified the sources of the 'bursts': the collapse of massive stars."

• See More Photos in the News
• See Today's Top News Stories
—Image by NASA and A. Fruchter (STSci)
 

EMAIL NEWSLETTER Photos and News of the Week

Get the top photos and news of the week from National Geographic News, plus occasional breaking-news alerts.

See Sample >>
Please enter a valid email address
Privacy Policy

MOST VIEWED NEWS

PHOTOS: Fake Limbs, More Help Animals Heal

PICTURE: "Peculiar" New Geyser Erupts in Russia

Humans Can Learn to "See" With Sound, Study Says
NEWS FEEDS    After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed. After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed.

Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free.
How to Use XML or RSS




 

Vote for Your Favorite Green Idea!

Who do you want to see receive $20,000 to put their Earth-saving idea into action? Check out the ten Green Effect finalists, and until July 20 you can vote—up to once a day—for your favorite idea!
View Ideas, Cast Your Vote