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By NASA
Explore Hubble Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Hubble’s Partners in Science Universe Uncovered Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts Multimedia Multimedia Images Videos Sonifications Podcasts e-Books Online Activities 3D Hubble Models Lithographs Fact Sheets Posters Hubble on the NASA App Glossary News Hubble News Social Media Media Resources More 35th Anniversary Online Activities 2 min read
Hubble Pinpoints Young Stars in Spiral Galaxy
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the spiral galaxy NGC 1317. ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team In this image, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope peers into the spiral galaxy NGC 1317 in the constellation Fornax, located more than 50 million light-years from Earth. Visible in this galaxy image is a bright blue ring that hosts hot, young stars. NGC 1317 is one of a pair, but its rowdy larger neighbor, NGC 1316, lies outside Hubble’s field of view. Despite the absence of its neighboring galaxy, this image finds NGC 1317 accompanied by two objects from very different parts of the universe. The bright point ringed with a crisscross pattern is a star from our own galaxy surrounded by diffraction spikes, whereas the redder elongated smudge is a distant galaxy lying far beyond NGC 1317.
The data presented in this image are from a vast observing campaign of hundreds of observations from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys. Combined with data from the ALMA array in the Atacama Desert, these observations help astronomers chart the connections between vast clouds of cold gas and the fiercely hot, young stars that form within them. ALMA’s unparalleled sensitivity at long wavelengths identified vast reservoirs of cold gas throughout the local universe, and Hubble’s sharp vision pinpointed clusters of young stars, as well as measuring their ages and masses.
Often the most exciting astronomical discoveries require this kind of telescope teamwork, with cutting-edge facilities working together to provide astronomers with information across the electromagnetic spectrum. The same applies to Hubble’s observations that laid the groundwork for the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s scientific observations.
Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact:
Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov)
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
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Last Updated May 14, 2025 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms
Hubble Space Telescope Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Spiral Galaxies The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble
Hubble Space Telescope
Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.
Hubble’s Galaxies
Hubble Science Highlights
Science Behind the Discoveries
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By Amazing Space
X-FLARE Update - Did You See This Giant Solar Flare Today? 13th May - AR4086 Flare and CME
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By NASA
The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of (pictured left to right) Dennis Leveson-Gower and Laura Iraci. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the entrepreneurial spirit, technical expertise, and collaborative disposition needed to explore this world and beyond.
Space Biosciences Star: Dennis Leveson-Gower
Dennis Leveson-Gower, Assistant Branch Chief of Bioengineering, has contributed to numerous projects and payloads within the Space Biosciences Division since 2012. He is recognized for exceptional leadership, operational excellence, and strategic collaboration that have advanced the Bioengineering Branch and strengthened partnerships with commercial spaceflight organizations.
Earth Science Star: Laura Iraci
Laura Iraci is a Senior Research Scientist in the Atmospheric Science Branch. She is recognized for her outstanding scientific leadership and her impactful role as a mentor. As head of the Trace Gas Group, Laura develops and deploys custom atmospheric sampling and remote sensing instrumentation for critical NASA suborbital and spaceflight missions, including major airborne science field campaigns. She is equally dedicated to mentoring early-career researchers, with many advancing into highly productive staff positions at NASA.
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By NASA
A first-generation college graduate, Nilufar Ramji was blazing trails long before arriving at NASA. With her multifaceted expertise, she is helping shape the messaging behind humanity’s return to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Ramji is currently on detail as the co-executive producer for NASA’s live broadcasts, ensuring the agency’s missions and discoveries are clearly and effectively communicated to the public. Through her work, she expands understanding of what space exploration means for all—and why it matters.
Official portrait of Nilufar Ramji. NASA/Josh Valcarcel Before stepping into her acting role, Ramji served as the lead public affairs officer for Moon to Mars activities at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. She spearheaded communication strategies for the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which works with private companies to deliver science and technology payloads to the lunar surface. She has also provided live commentary for International Space Station operations to learn and prepare for Artemis missions.
Ramji played a pivotal role in communicating NASA’s involvement in two major lunar missions in 2025 including Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 which successfully delivered 10 NASA payloads to the Moon’s Mare Crisium on March 2. Ramji served as the live mission commentator, helping audiences around the world follow the historic moment—from lunar orbit insertion to touchdown. She also led communications for Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission, which landed near the Moon’s South Pole on March 6, marking the southernmost lunar landing ever achieved.
Nilufar Ramji, left, and Brigette Oakes, vice president of engineering at Firefly Aerospace, in the company’s mission operations center in Cedar Park, Texas, during the Blue Ghost Mission 1 lunar landing. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas Early in her NASA career, she led agencywide STEM communications, shaping how NASA connects with students and educators. As a lead strategist, she developed messaging that made science and technology more accessible to younger audiences—helping inspire the Artemis Generation.
“Being one of the storytellers behind humanity’s return to the Moon is something I take pride in,” she said. “People don’t realize what exploring our solar system has done for us here on Earth. Going to the Moon and onto Mars will bring that message home.”
Nilufar Ramji, left, and Aliyah Craddock, digital media lead for NASA Science in the Science Mission Directorate, in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA Ramji communicates not just the science of space, but its greater significance. “How can we be thoughtful in our communications?” is a question that drives her approach. Whether guiding a live broadcast or developing messaging about lunar science, she is constantly evaluating, executing, and refining NASA’s voice.
She also understands the importance of commercial partnerships in expanding human presence in space. “It’s exciting to see how many different people and organizations come together to make this a reality,” she said. “By creating a larger space economy, we’re able to do things faster and cheaper and still accomplish the same goals to make sure we’re all successful.”
Nilufar Ramji presents a TedX Talk, “Storytelling from Space” in Sugar Land, Texas. In Aug. 2023, Ramji delivered a TEDx Talk, “Storytelling from Space” in Sugar Land, Texas, where she emphasized the power of narrative to inspire and unite humanity in the quest to explore the universe. Drawing from her NASA experience, she illustrated how communication bridges the gap between complex science and public engagement.
She credits her mentors and colleagues for supporting her growth. “I have great mentors and people I can lean on if I need help,” she said. “It’s something I didn’t realize I had until I came to NASA.”
Ramji believes stepping outside your comfort zone is essential. “Discomfort brings new learning, understanding, and opportunities, so I like being uncomfortable at times,” she said. “I’m open and receptive to feedback. Constructive criticism has helped me grow and evolve—and better understand NASA’s mission.”
For her, balance means creating intentional space for reflection, growth, and meaningful connection.
Nilufar Ramji gives remarks during Johnson’s building naming ceremony of the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo” on July 19, 2024. NASA/Robert Markowitz Before joining NASA, Ramji had already built an international career rooted in service. She worked at the Aga Khan Foundation in Canada, a nonprofit organization focused on addressing challenges in underdeveloped communities through education and healthcare.
She led visitor programs, workshops and more than 250 events—often for diplomats and global leaders—to promote “quiet diplomacy” and dialogue.
“Transparency, quality, fairness and diversity of perspective are all important to me,” she said. “People come from different experiences that broaden our understanding.”
Ramji later moved to East Africa as the foundation’s sole communications representative across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. There, she trained more than 300 staff and built a communications strategy to help local teams share stories of impact—both successes and challenges—with honesty and empathy.
Her work left a lasting mark on the communities she served and underscored the power of communication to drive positive change.
Nilufar Ramji captures the story of a sesame farmer in Mtwara, Tanzania, whose livelihood improved through a rural development program initiated by the Aga Khan Foundation. In 2013, Ramji moved to the United States and started over, rebuilding her network and career. She worked for the Aga Khan Council for USA in Houston, leading a volunteer recruitment program that connected thousands of people with roles suited to their skills.
She later applied for a contractor position—not knowing it was with NASA. “I never thought my skills or expertise would be valued at a place like NASA,” she said. But in 2018, she accepted a role as a public relations specialist supporting International Space Station outreach. She has been shaping the agency’s storytelling ever since.
Ramji’s journey represents NASA’s commitment to pushing boundaries and expanding humanity’s knowledge of the universe. With collaboration, transparency, and vision, she is helping bring the next frontier of space exploration to life.
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By NASA
6 min read
NASA Data Helps Map Tiny Plankton That Feed Giant Right Whales
This North Atlantic right whale, named “Bowtie,” was spotted feeding in southern Maine waters in January 2025. A new technique aims to use NASA satellite data to see the plankton these whales depend on from space. Credit: New England Aquarium, taken under NMFS permit # 25739 In the waters off New England, one of Earth’s rarest mammals swims slowly, mouth agape. The North Atlantic right whale filters clouds of tiny reddish zooplankton — called Calanus finmarchicus — from the sea. These zooplankton, no bigger than grains of rice, are the whale’s lifeline. Only about 370 of these massive creatures remain.
For decades, tracking the tiny plankton meant sending research vessels out in the ocean, towing nets and counting samples by hand. Now, scientists are looking from above instead.
Using NASA satellite data, researchers found a way to detect Calanus swarms at the ocean surface in the Gulf of Maine, picking up on the animals’ natural red pigment. This early-stage approach, described in a new study, may help researchers better estimate where the copepods gather, and where whales might follow.
Tracking the zooplankton from space could aid both the whales and maritime industries. By predicting where these mammals are likely to feed, researchers and marine resource managers hope to reduce deadly vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements — two major threats to the species. Knowing the feeding patterns could also help shipping and fishing industries operate more efficiently.
Calanus finmarchicus, a tiny zooplankton powering North Atlantic food webs, fuels right whale populations with its energy-rich lipid reserves. Credit: Cameron Thompson “NASA invests in this kind of research because it connects space-based observation with real-world challenges,” said Cynthia Hall, a support scientist at NASA headquarters in Washington. She works with the Early Career Research Program, which partly funded the work. “It’s yet another a way to put NASA satellite data to work for science, communities, and ecosystems.”
Revealing the Ocean’s Hidden Patterns
The new approach uses data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite. The MODIS instrument doesn’t directly see the copepods themselves. Instead, it reads how the spectrum of sunlight reflected from the ocean surface changes in response to what’s in the water.
When large numbers of the zooplankton rise to the surface, their reddish pigment — astaxanthin, the same compound that gives salmon its pink color — subtly alters how photons, or particles of light, from the sun are absorbed or scattered in the water. The fate of these photons in the ocean depends on the mix of living and non-living matter in seawater, creating a slight shift in color that MODIS can detect.
“We didn’t know to look for Calanus before in this way,” said Catherine Mitchell, a satellite oceanographer at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine. “Remote sensing has typically focused on smaller things like phytoplankton. But recent research suggested that larger, millimeter-sized organisms like zooplankton can also influence ocean color.”
A few years ago, researchers piloted a satellite method for detecting copepods in Norwegian waters. Now, some of those same scientists — along with Mitchell’s team — have refined the approach and applied it to the Gulf of Maine, a crucial feeding ground for right whales during their northern migration. By combining satellite data, a model, and field measurements, they produced enhanced images that revealed Calanus swarms at the sea surface, and were able to estimate numbers of the tiny animals.
“We know the right whales are using habitats we don’t fully understand,” said Rebekah Shunmugapandi, also a satellite oceanographer at Bigelow and the study’s lead author. “This satellite-based Calanus information could eventually help identify unknown feeding grounds or better anticipate where whales might travel.”
Tracking Elusive Giants
Despite decades of study, North Atlantic right whales remain remarkably enigmatic to scientists. Once fairly predictable in their movements along the Eastern Seaboard of North America, these massive mammals began abandoning some traditional feeding grounds in 2010-2011. Their sudden shift to unexpected areas like the Gulf of Saint Lawrence caught people off guard, with deadly consequences.
“We’ve had whales getting hit by ships and whales getting stuck in fishing gear,” said Laura Ganley, a research scientist in the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium in Boston, which conducts aerial and boat surveys of the whales.
In 2017, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designated the situation as an “unusual mortality event” in an effort to address the whales’ decline. Since then, 80 North Atlantic right whales have been killed or sustained serious injuries, according to NOAA.
NASA satellite imagery from June 2009 was used to test a new method for detecting the copepod Calanus finmarchicus in the Gulf of Maine and estimating their numbers from space. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using data from Shunmugapandi, R., et al. (2025) In the Gulf of Maine, there’s less shipping activity, but there can be a complex patchwork of lobster fishing gear, said Sarah Leiter, a scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources. “Each fisherman has 800 traps or so,” Leiter explained. “If a larger number of whales shows up suddenly, like they just did in January 2025, it is challenging. Fishermen need time and good weather to adjust that gear.”
What excites Leiter the most about the satellite data is the potential to use it in a forecasting tool to help predict where the whales could go. “That would be incredibly useful in giving us that crucial lead time,” she said.
PACE: The Next Generation of Ocean Observer
For now, the Calanus-tracking method has limitations. Because MODIS detects the copepods’ red pigment, not the animals themselves, that means other small, reddish organisms can be mistaken for the zooplankton. And cloud cover, rough seas, or deeper swarms all limit what satellites can spot.
MODIS is also nearing the end of its operational life. But NASA’s next-generation PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite — launched in 2024 — is poised to make dramatic improvements in the detection of zooplankton and phytoplankton.
NASA’s Ocean Color Instrument on the PACE satellite captured these swirling green phytoplankton blooms in the Gulf of Maine in April 2024. Such blooms fuel zooplankton like Calanus finmarchicus. Credit: NASA “The PACE satellite will definitely be able to do this, and maybe even something better,” said Bridget Seegers, an oceanographer and mission scientist with the PACE team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
The PACE mission includes the Ocean Color Instrument, which detects more than 280 wavelengths of light. That’s a big jump from the 10 wavelengths seen by MODIS. More wavelengths mean finer detail and better insights into ocean color and the type of plankton that the satellite can spot.
Local knowledge of seasonal plankton patterns will still be essential to interpret the data correctly. But the goal isn’t perfect detection, the scientists say, but rather to provide another tool to inform decision-making, especially when time or resources are limited.
By Emily DeMarco
NASA Headquarters
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Last Updated May 05, 2025 Editor Emily DeMarco Related Terms
Earth Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Oceans PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem) Explore More
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