Author Archive
Galactic Pac-Man
by CritterKeeper on Sep.02, 2010, under Eyes in the Sky
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University) and G. Ostlin (Stockholm University)
Interacting galaxies form a Pac-Man shape moving in to devour a distant galaxy in this image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
Cold’s Greenish Glow
by CritterKeeper on Sep.01, 2010, under Eyes in the Sky
Credit: NASA, ESA and Mohammad Heydari-Malayeri (Observatoire de Paris, France)
Cold doesn’t actually have a color; well, maybe blue lips in the wintertime. To help us see new stars being born deep within the thick dust of nebulae, astronomers use special telescopes to see the star’s glow.
All Wound Up
by CritterKeeper on Aug.31, 2010, under General
Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Arms of dark dust tightly wind around the bright center of NGC 2787 in this image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
Blowing Bubbles
by CritterKeeper on Aug.30, 2010, under General
Credit: NASA, ESA, Mohammad Heydari-Malayeri (Observatoire de Paris, France)
New stars in N83B are blowing bubbles in this image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
Starry Ducky
by CritterKeeper on Aug.24, 2010, under Bugs, birds and other animals
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
Resembling a starry ducky, a pair of faraway galaxies known as IRAS 21101+5810, merge together in a sky crowded with nearby stars from our own Milky Way.
Cluster of Jewels
by CritterKeeper on Aug.23, 2010, under General
Credit: European Space Agency & NASA
A cluster of jewels, known as NGC 265, glows in the Small Magellanic Cloud.
Solving a mystery
by CritterKeeper on Aug.20, 2010, under General
Credit: NASA, ESA, E. Jullo (JPL/LAM), P. Natarajan (Yale) and J-P. Kneib (LAM).
Sometimes what we can’t see is as important as what we can. Using new techniques, astronomers are helping solve the big mystery of dark energy in the Universe and perhaps its ultimate fate.
Ancient Ridges
by CritterKeeper on Aug.19, 2010, under General
Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)
Looking like the closeup of an elephant’s hide, polygonal ridges form odd geometric patterns on Mars.
A Blooming Rose
by CritterKeeper on Aug.17, 2010, under Plants/Flowers
Credit: NASA, ESA and Mohammad Heydari-Malayeri (Observatoire de Paris, France)
Fierce radiation from N11A’s central star is shaping a delicate rose in space in this image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
Leaping Fish
by CritterKeeper on Aug.16, 2010, under Water Creatures
Credit: NASA, ESA and Orsola De Marco (Macquarie University)
Strange shapes, leaping fish and pincers can be found in the colorful sea of gas and dust amid bright blue stars in the star–forming region of NGC 2467.
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Welcome to Starry Critters!
Thanks for dropping by! This site combines incredible imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope and other great observatories with the imagination of children. Explore and share the patterns you see in the nebula, galaxies and star clusters.Note to Parents and Educators:
The main focus of the site are the images of space. We believe the explanations are best suited for parents, educators and upper grade students. Parents may find it helpful to view the site with their children and explore the universe together using the explanatory text as a guide. Background text is provided to let you know the real story behind the image. Links, very useful for parents and teachers, include definitions and will take you to other sites for even more detail.
Zoom in and out and pan around the images to find your own patterns in the stars. Be creative and think outside the box.Tell us your stories and let us know what you find! Feel free to join the discussion by leaving comments, and stay updated by subscribing to the RSS feed.
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