Announcements

20 May 2016: Ten years ago the Universe Awareness project was launched. To celebrate this anniversary, and the launch of the new Space Scoop website, a global contest has been launched inviting the readers of Space Scoop to create their own Space Scoop comic. Space Scoop provides a comic template — all you have to do is to select a released text and let your creativity flow! Artwork using traditional media such as watercolour, pencils, mosaic and chalk is welcome, as is work created using digital software like Paint, GIMP or Adobe Illustrator. Three winners will be selected in each participating country, one for each age category (8-11 years, 12-15 years, and 16-18 years). Each winner will receive a cosmic goody bag and a certificate. In addition, the winning artwork will be displayed on the international Universe Awareness website. The winning entries from all countries will then be evaluated by an international panel …

21 April 2016: On 24 April 1990, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope was sent into orbit aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Now it is celebrating its 26th anniversary. As in the last years Hubble spent a modest portion of its observing time to observe a special chosen object. This year, Hubble re-observed an object, it already captured over 15 years ago: NGC 7635, better known as the Bubble Nebula. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on dotSUB. Credits: Directed by: Mathias JägerVisual design and editing: Martin KornmesserWritten by: Mathias Jäger, Georgia BladonNarration: Sara Mendes da CostaImages: NASA, ESA/Hubble, Hubble Heritage Team, Pam JeffrisVideos: NASA, ESA/HubbleAnimations: NASA, ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser, L. CalçadaMusic: Thomas Edward Rice / https://outofnothing.bandcamp.comWeb …

13 April 2016: Less than two years ago, in summer 2014, the ESA/Hubble Facebook page celebrated its first million friends. And now Hubble has reached two million friends and followers! The team from ESA/Hubble wants to thank all its friends: Keep sharing our stories and images, keep discussing Hubble, and keep being part of the Hubble world! Since November 2015 we have taken on the mission of answering as many of the questions about Hubble that are raised on our Facebook page as possible. So, if you have unanswered questions about the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, its stunning images and breathtaking discoveries, don’t hesitate to bring them up as comments or private messages on our page. If you’re not friends with Hubble yet, you can befriend us here.

8 April 2016: In April 2016 the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope celebrates its 26th year in orbit. During this time the telescope has made many remarkable discoveries. But what comes next? In this first episode about the future of Hubble scientists and staff share with us their view on what Hubble still has to offer. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on dotSUB. Credits: Directed by: Mathias JägerVisual design and editing: Martin KornmesserWritten by: Georgia Bladon, Nicky JennerNarration: Sara Mendes da CostaImages: NASA, ESA/HubbleVideos: NASA, ESA/HubbleAnimations: NASA, ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser, L. CalçadaMusic: Johan B. Monell (www.johanmonell.com)Web and technical support: Mathias Andre and Raquel Yumi ShidaExecutive producer: Lars Lindberg Christensen

24 March 2016: The 19th issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public journal is out now! This special issue includes an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the outreach activities surrounding ESA’s dramatic Rosetta mission. The creators of the communications storm that stoked Rosetta’s success tell all and share their experiences of the process. This, and much more, is featured in this free, peer-reviewed journal for astronomy communicators — now available for download. This product is available for sale in the ESOshop. Deliveries will commence at the end of March. Confirmation of print subscription In this issue and the next we are running a campaign to update our list of subscribers to the print version of the Journal. If you are receiving the CAPjournal in hard copy, please follow these instructions. On the label of the envelope in which your receive this issue of the journal you will find a unique web link, written …

9 March 2016: The March issue of the ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter is now available. It presents the results of the latest Space Telescope User Committee meeting and upcoming news from the European Hubble archive eHST. The newsletter also features an interview with Ken Sembach, the new director of STScI. The ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter provides technical and operational news about the Hubble Space Telescope to European users and the scientific community. It is also intended to create a communication channel between the European Hubble user community and the staff scientists at ESA who support Hubble science operations. You can subscribe to the ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter here, or get in touch at hubblenewseurope@stsci.edu. If you are a media representative we recommend subscribing to the ESA/Hubble Media Newsletter, a weekly embargoed newsletter sent 48 hours prior to the publication of press releases. This newsletter is aimed exclusively at journalists. If you are a member of the …

9 February 2016: Since October 2013 the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been observing some of the most massive structures in the Universe — galaxy clusters. Using the magnification effect caused by their mass Hubble can look deeper into the Universe than ever before. In this new Hubblecast Dr J talks about the goals and the achievements of this campaign, called the Frontier Fields programme. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on dotSUB. Credits: Directed by: Mathias JägerVisual design and editing: Martin KornmesserWritten by: Rebecca Louise Davies, Carl Mundy Presented by: Joe Liske (Dr J)Narration: Sara Mendes da CostaImages: NASA, ESA and the HST Frontier Fields team (STScI); S. Rodney (John Hopkins University, USA) and the …

16 December 2015: Space Scoop, an astronomy news service for children aged eight and above, invites you to explore a brand-new website and share its exciting astronomical content with your children during their Christmas break. Space Scoop is coordinated by the international Universe Awareness (EU-UNAWE) and Space Awareness (SPACE-AWE) projects in partnership with several partners, including ESO and ESA/Hubble. Every Space Scoops article provides news about the latest astronomical discoveries in child-friendly language and is accompanied by a stunning astronomical image. The goal is to feed children’s curiosity about the Universe, to share the excitement of new discoveries with them and to inspire children to develop an interest in science and a passion for learning. The project aims to change young children’s frequent perception that science is an outdated and dull subject. As such, the brand-new Space Scoop website features a vibrant, eye-catching visual design along with fun graphics, images and icons tailored …

10 December 2015: When you hear the name “Hubble”, you probably think of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. But, decades before the Hubble Space Telescope, Dr Edwin Powell Hubble revolutionised the field of astronomy. In the newest Hubblecast, we take a look at the life and work of this brilliant American astronomer for whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on dotSUB. Credits: Directed by: Mathias JägerVisual design and editing: Martin KornmesserWritten by: Rebecca Louise Davies, Georgia BlazonNarration: Sara Mendes da CostaImages: NASA, ESA/Hubble, Huntington Library, California Institute of Technology, Hans A. Rosbach, JonathunderAnimations: NASA, ESA/HubbleMusic: zero-project (zero-project.gr)Web and technical support: Mathias Andre and Raquel Yumi ShidaExecutive producer: Lars Lindberg …

13 November 2015: A serendipitous observation of a distant supernova by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is providing astronomers with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to definitively test their understanding of massive clusters of galaxies. In November 2014 astronomers spotted a strange and rare sight. The huge mass of the galaxy cluster MACS J1149+2223 was magnifying the light from a much more distant supernova behind it, nicknamed Refsdal. The light from Refsdal was magnified and distorted due to gravitational lensing, creating four separate images of the supernova arranged in a formation known as an Einstein Cross. Although astronomers have discovered dozens of multiply imaged galaxies, they had never before seen multiple images of a supernova (heic1505). The four supernova images have been slowly fading away as the explosion dies down, but astronomers now have the unique chance to catch a rerun of Refsdal: The supernova images do not arrive on Earth at the same time …

21 October 2015: The October issue of the ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter is now available. Among other things this issue focuses on the new Hubble Space Telescope Archive at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) which was launched on 15 October. The improvements in the new archive are highlighted as well as the overall importance of the archive for the scientific community. There is also information about the Hubble catalogue of variables and an example that follows a typical science using case from start to finish. The ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter promotes technical and operational news for the Hubble Space Telescope to European users and the scientific community. It is also intended to create a communication channel between the European Hubble user community, and the staff scientists at ESA who support Hubble science operations. You can subscribe to the ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter here, or get in touch at hubblenewseurope@stsci.edu. If you are a media representative …

15 October 2015: Today, the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) has launched the new European Hubble Space Telescope archive — or eHST for short . This archive offers several new features, some of which are not yet available anywhere else. In addition, it offers a very user friendly interface. Currently about 50% of the publications from Hubble are based on archive data, making the archive a goldmine for astronomers. The European archive has always been a dynamic complement to the primary archive based at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, USA, rather than just a copy, and the new eHST enhances its capabilities even further. The eHST has been completely re-engineered and is now faster, more accurate and more robust than its progenitor. It is also easy to maintain and to extend, which will make it easy to integrate the Hubble Source Catalogue by the end of 2015. For the user …

7 October 2015: Using images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and ESO’s Very Large Telescope, astronomers have discovered unique and totally unexpected structures within the dusty disc around the star AU Microscopii. This Hubblecast takes a look at these fast-moving wave-like features, which are unlike anything ever observed, or even predicted. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on dotSUB.

30 September 2015: The 18th issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public journal is out now! In this issue you will find articles discussing key findings in astronomy communication, including research into astronomers’ views on outreach; reflections on the highly successful Galileoscope project and Global Astronomy Month; and insights into new ways to share and improve access to the huge files we, as astronomy communicators, are creating. We also gain a new perspective in this issue by hearing from those who have participated in our projects. All of this, and more, is featured in this free, peer-reviewed journal for astronomy communicators — now available for download.

23 September 2015: Before NASA’s New Horizons probe flew past Pluto in July 2015, almost all of the information scientists had about this mysterious dwarf planet came from observations made by Hubble. In the newest episode of the Hubblecast, we present Hubble’s discoveries in the Pluto system and explore how Hubble will continue to advance knowledge of this distant, icy world following New Horizons’ flyby. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on dotSUB. Credits: Directed by: Mathias Jäger Visual design and editing: Martin Kornmesser Written by: Mathias Jäger, Georgia Bladon and Nicky Guttridge Narration: Sara Mendes da Costa Images: NASA, ESA/Hubble, Lowell Observatory, M. Buie (Southwest Research Institute), NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI; Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Videos: …

9 September 2015: On 24 April 2015 ESA/Hubble announced the winners of its Ode to Hubble short video competition as part of the Hubble 25th anniversary celebrations. At that time we extended our thanks to the many individuals who entered the competition, but they did not receive official recognition. Many of these videos were highly creative, original and informed and deserve to be seen by a wider audience. So now, we are giving everyone the chance to appreciate the high quality of work from all our entrants by hosting all of the videos entered on a new page on the ESA/Hubble website. We invite you to visit this new webpage and explore the videos, which all played a part in highlighting Hubble’s role not just as a scientific instrument but as a cultural icon that inspires creativity and curiosity about the Universe. The winning videos, as well as the runners up, can also …

26 August 2015: The newest Hubblecast focuses on planetary nebulae and, in particular, the spectacular Twin Jet Nebula. Observed and studied by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, many fascinating features have been found within its butterfly-shaped wings. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on dotSUB. Credits: Directed by: Mathias Jäger Visual design and editing: Martin Kornmesser Written by: Mathias Jäger, Nicky Jenner, Georgia Bladon Narration: Sara Mendes da Costa Images: NASA, ESA/Hubble Videos: NASA, ESA/Hubble, NASA Goodard Space Flight Center Animations: Martin Kornmesser, Luis Calcada, NASA, ESA/Hubble Music: Stan Dart (www.stan-dart.com) Web and technical support: Mathias Andre and Raquel Yumi Shida Executive producer: Lars Lindberg Christensen

6 July 2015: The July 2015 issue of the ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter is now available. Among other things, this issue reflects upon Hubble’s 25th anniversary celebrations. Two month on we look back at what we can learn from the wide-spread activities involving the public and give a retrospective of the Hubble 2020 conference and the science presented therein. Also included are highlights from the cycle 23 Time Allocation Committee and the great success of European Principal Investigators and Co-Investigators in this round. The ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter promotes technical and operational news for the Hubble Space Telescope to European users and the scientific community. It is also intended to create a communication channel between the European Hubble user community, and the staff scientists at ESA who support Hubble science operations. You can subscribe to the ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter here, or get in touch at hubblenewseurope@stsci.edu. If you are a media representative we recommend subscribing …

30 June 2015: The 17th issue of Communicating Astronomy with the Public journal is out now! In this issue you will find articles discussing outreach activities for the Google Lunar XPRIZE race to the Moon; the issues involved in communicating astronomy directly to a mass audience through television; the role of space art in astronomy outreach; and how using simple optical instruments to reproduce historical astronomical observations can help amateur astronomers and the wider public engage with astronomy in a direct, collaborative way. There is all this, and more, in this free, peer-reviewed journal for astronomy communicators — now available for download.

5 June 2015: To celebrate Hubble's 25th birthday ESA/Hubble asked the public to produce and submit short videos illustrating how Hubble has inspired them. This new Hubblecast episode presents the two winning videos. The episode also introduces us to the creators of the videos and they explain how they produced the videos and the inspiration for creating them. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on dotSUB. Credit: Directed by: Mathias Jäger Visual design and editing: Martin Kornmesser Written by: Georgia Bladon Narration: Sara Mendes da Costa Images: ESA/Hubble, ESO, NASA and ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Videos: ESA/Hubble, Halley Davies and Martin Hellmich, Desiré de Palacio Animations: Martin Kornmesser, Luis Calcada, NASA, ESA/Hubble Music: La …