Press Releases 2025

2 June 2025: Over a decade’s worth of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope data was used to re-examine the long-held prediction that the Milky Way galaxy will collide with the Andromeda galaxy in about 4.5 billion years. The astronomers found that, based on the latest observational data from Hubble as well as the Gaia space telescope, there is only a 50-50 chance of the two galaxies colliding within the next 10 billion years. The study also found that the presence of the Large Magellanic Cloud can affect the trajectory of the Milky Way and make the collision less likely. The researchers emphasize that predicting the long-term future of galaxy interactions is highly uncertain, but the new findings challenge the previous consensus and suggest the fate of the Milky Way remains an open question.

23 April 2025: In celebration of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s 35 years in Earth orbit, an assortment of compelling images have been released today that were recently taken by Hubble. This stretches from the planet Mars to dramatic images of stellar birth and death, to a magnificent neighbouring galaxy. After over three decades of perusing the restless universe, Hubble remains a household word as the most well-recognized telescope in scientific history.

18 April 2025: In anticipation of the upcoming 35th anniversary of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, ESA/Hubble is continuing the celebrations with a new view of the Eagle Nebula. This vast stellar nursery displays a towering spire of cosmic gas and dust that incorporates new data processing techniques developed since an image of this region was last released two decades ago.

16 April 2025: In anticipation of the upcoming 35th anniversary of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, ESA/Hubble is continuing the celebrations with a new image of the Sombrero Galaxy, also known as Messier 104. An eye-catching target for Hubble and a favourite of amateur astronomers, the enigmatic Sombrero Galaxy has features of both spiral and elliptical galaxies. This image incorporates new processing techniques that highlight the unique structure of this galaxy.

15 April 2025: Magnetars are ultra-dense stellar remnants with extremely strong magnetic fields. Researchers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the magnetar SGR 0501+4516 was not born in a neighbouring supernova as previously thought. The birthplace of this object is now unknown, and SGR 0501+4516 is the likeliest candidate in our galaxy for a magnetar that was not born in a supernova. This discovery was made possible by Hubble’s sensitive instruments as well as precise benchmarks from ESA’s Gaia spacecraft.

7 April 2025: An international team of astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have made new measurements of Uranus' interior rotation rate with a novel technique, achieving a level of accuracy 1000 times greater than previous estimates. By analysing more than a decade of Hubble observations of Uranus' aurorae, researchers have refined the planet’s rotation period and established a crucial new reference point for future planetary research.

4 April 2025: In anticipation of the upcoming 35th anniversary of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, ESA/Hubble is kicking off the celebrations with a new image of the star cluster NGC 346, featuring new data and processing techniques. This prolific star factory is in the Small Magellanic Cloud, one of the largest of the Milky Way’s satellite galaxies.

16 January 2025: The largest photomosaic of the Andromeda galaxy, assembled from NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observations, has been unveiled. It took more than 10 years to collect data for this colorful portrait of our neighboring galaxy and was created from more than 600 snapshots. This stunning, colorful mosaic captures the glow of 200 million stars, and is spread across roughly 2.5 billion pixels.