The Week's Coolest Space Images
Jupiter's Gorgeous Cloud Belts (Header Image)
Jupiter appears in this color-enhanced image as a tapestry of vibrant cloud bands and storms. The dark region in the far left is called the South Temperate Belt. Intersecting the belt is a ghost-like feature of slithering white clouds. This is the largest feature in Jupiter's low latitudes that's a cyclone (rotating with clockwise motion).
The Orion Nebula (Illustration)
This image showcases both the visible and infrared visualizations of the Orion Nebula. This view from a movie sequence looks down the 'valley' leading to the star cluster at the far end.
For the full animation of a flight through the Orion Nebula, check out this video:
Saturn's Veil Of Ice
Saturn's rings, made of countless icy particles, form a translucent veil in this view from NASA's Cassini spacecraft.
Mars' Hidden Layers Of Ice
Researchers using NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have found eight sites where thick deposits of ice beneath Mars' surface are exposed in faces of eroding slopes.
Kepler K2-138 System (Illustration)
This artist concept shows K2-138, the first multi-planet system discovered by citizen scientists. The central star is slightly smaller and cooler than our Sun. The five known planets are all between the size of Earth and Neptune.