In June, NASA is sending two satellites, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), to the Moon to prepare for a future astronaut landing. LRO will create the first-ever complete surface map of the Moon, and LCROSS will excavate a crater to confirm the presence of water on the Moon.

To learn about other recent astronomical discoveries, visit the Science Bulletins website.

Dwarf galaxies are small, weakly glowing cousins of typical galaxies. Astronomers long thought that little star formation took place in dwarf galaxies, but a new analysis of images from the Hubble Space Telescope turns this assumption around.

To learn about other recent astronomical discoveries, visit the Science Bulletins website.

Arp 194 is one of 338 galactic curiosities grouped in a catalog called the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, which was organized in 1966 by astronomer Halton Arp. The Hubble Space Telescope recently imaged the galaxy group to reveal details on its dynamic interaction. The image celebrates Hubble’s 19th year of observing the cosmos. Hubble’s Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which took this shot, was upgraded to a new, improved version on May 14.

To learn about other recent astronomical discoveries, visit the Science Bulletins website.