The clearest image ever captured of Mars’ North Pole.

Cosmic Detonation: How Stars Die in NGC 5643 This Hubble image captures the spiral galaxy NGC 5643, a system that recently hosted one of the universe’s most powerful stellar explosions — a Type Ia supernova. In a binary system, a white dwarf (the dense remnant of a dead star) steadily pulls material from its companion. When the white dwarf’s mass approaches the Chandrasekhar limit, it becomes unstable and detonates in a thermonuclear explosion. Because these events reach nearly the same peak brightness every time, astronomers use them as “standard candles.” By measuring how faint the supernova in NGC 5643 appeared from roughly 40 million light-years away, researchers can help refine measurements of the universe’s expansion rate. The image itself reveals the galaxy’s ongoing life cycle: dark lanes of dust and gas mark regions where new stars are forming, even as others end in cataclysmic blasts. Image Credit: NASA, ESA Hubble Space Telescope; Processing: NASA/Aurel Costel Agapi

The Veil Nebula — a delicate cosmic shroud from an ancient stellar death. About 2,400 light-years away in Cygnus the Swan, this beautiful supernova remnant spans roughly 100 light-years. It formed when a massive star exploded 10,000–20,000 years ago, sending shock waves racing through surrounding gas and sculpting the intricate, thread-like filaments that resemble a floating veil in space. The glow comes from those shock waves heating interstellar gas: hydrogen shines red, while oxygen adds striking blue-green hues. Beyond its beauty, the Veil is a natural laboratory for how supernovae seed the galaxy with heavy elements that will one day help form new stars and planets. How to see it: Look near the bright star Deneb in Cygnus, close to 52 Cygni. The western section is famously called the Witch’s Broom. It’s too faint for most naked-eye views, but a wide-field telescope with low magnification and an O III or UHC filter on a clear, moonless night from a dark site can reveal the delicate strands. Long-exposure astrophotography brings out the full spectacle of color and detail.