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This artist’s conception illustrates one of the most primitive supermassive black holes known (central black dot) at the core of a young, star-rich galaxy. Astronomers using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope have uncovered two of these early objects, dating back to about 13 billion years ago. The monstrous black holes are among the most distant known, and appear to be in the very earliest stages of formation, earlier than any observed so far. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

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Credit: Tim Doucette.

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This 2016 Curiosity rover selfie shows the vehicle at the “Okoruso” drilling site on Mount Sharp’s Naukluft Plateau. The Martian scene is a mosaic of images taken with the arm-mounted Mars Hands Lens Imager (MAHLI). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS.

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February 2025

  • Top 10 space stories of 2024
  • Observe along the plane of the Milky Way
  • 40 top cosmic questions answered
  • Astronomy reviews Oberwerk’s 127mm binoculars
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A galactic megaconglomerate

Team ShaRA; data acquired via Chilescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile

The galaxy Fornax A (NGC 1316) is famed for its enormous radio lobes, but deep optical imaging reveals dizzying layers of structure generated by a series of mergers that made the galaxy what it is today. Just right of Fornax A is the smaller spiral NGC 1317, likely to be the larger galaxy’s next acquisition. Team ShaRA used a 20-inch reflector to collect 43 hours of LRGB data; you can read more about their efforts on their blog.