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LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) Pathfinder

This illustration shows ESA's LISA Pathfinder spacecraft in shades of blue. The craft has an octagonal shape with a relatively flat "face" with smaller components found around the sides of the spacecraft.
Credit: NASA
Published: December 20, 2022

An illustration of ESA's LISA Pathfinder spacecraft. The colors depicted in this illustration are for artistic purposes only.

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An illustration of NASA's TESS spacecraft.
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This illustration of NASA's TESS shows the spacecraft in shades of blue. The multi-sided, cylindrical shaped main body of the satellite has two solar array "wings," each extending out from the sides of the satellite which is attached to an open, cone shaped bottom piece. Nestled inside the cone are four squares which show the relative positions of TESS’s cameras.
TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite)
An illustration of a pulsar with asymmetric magnetic field lines.
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This object resembles an open clamshell with a pearl in the center and with one half significantly larger than the other. The two halves of the shape have different sizes of curved stripes that start as a dark blue on the outside and move inward towards the center, getting brighter and lighter. In the center is a bright white circle with transparent yellow beams emerging from its sides.
Pulsar (Version Two)
The history of the universe is outlined in this illustration. 
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This infographic is done in shades of blue and white. At the top left is the title: “History of the Universe.” Below that is a cone with graphics representing different stages of cosmic history within eight evenly spaced ovals. Below the cone is text connected to each oval indicating time since the beginning of the universe, the name of the cosmic era, and a brief description. The first oval on the left is filled with blobs, and the associated text reads: 10 to the negative 32 seconds, Inflation, and Initial expansion. Moving right, the next oval is filled with light (represented as squiggles), protons, and neutrons. The text below reads: one microsecond; first particles; and neutrons, protons, and electrons form. The next oval is filled with light (squiggles) and atomic nuclei. The text below reads: three minutes; first nuclei; and helium and hydrogen form. The next oval is filled with light (squiggles) and atoms. The text below reads: 380,000 years; first light; and the first atoms form. The next oval is filled with transparent areas of blue representing gas with a few dots representing stars. The text below reads: 200 million years; first stars; and gas and dust condense into stars. The next oval is filled with tightly packed galaxies with some transparent areas representing gas. The text below reads: 400 million years; galaxies and dark matter; and galaxies form in dark matter cradles. The next oval is filled with galaxies that have moved apart with stars in between. The text below reads: 10 billion years; dark energy; and expansion accelerates. The last oval is filled with galaxies that have moved far apart with stars in between. The text below reads: 13.8 billion years; today; and humans observe the universe.
History of the Universe
An illustration of NASA's ASTHROS spacecraft.
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A graphic of ASTHROS is shown in light and dark shades of blue and has a main cage-like body with large, rectangular panels stemming from its sides, small square panels on its lower half, and a thin structure protruding from the top. (This structure will attach to a large balloon). A telescope protrudes from the back of the structure.
ASTHROS (Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution)
An illustration of NASA's IXPE observatory.
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The IXPE observatory is illustrated in shades of blue. The full shape of IXPE is horizontal, with a three-leaf-clover shaped base with small cylinders on each "leaf" of the base. Stemming outward is a long cylindrical body that comes to a larger, open head with a series of thin panels on top.
IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer)
An illustration of a planetary nebula.An illustration of a planetary nebula. The colors depicted in this illustration are for artistic purposes only.
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A transparent, colorful hourglass shape has a central point that is a white circle surrounded by bright, light haze. Extending out from the center in opposite directions are plumes of color that form the hourglass shape. Each starts as blue near the central circle, then fades into a purplish pink color. The outline of the hourglass shape is wavy and white dots representing stars speckle the image.
Planetary Nebula (Version Two, Pink)
An illustration of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
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This illustration shows NASA's James Webb Space Telescope in shades of blue. Its base is made up of multiple different layers in an elongated shape. On top of the base sits the observatory's primary mirror which is a large hexagonal shape made up of smaller hexagons. Two rods at the base and one at the top protrude forward and all connect to a small disc, shaped object.
James Webb Space Telescope
An illustration of ESA's Planck spacecraft.
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This illustration shows ESA's Planck spacecraft in shades of blue. The craft has a circular base topped by a short instrument with an open top and instrument pieces visible inside.
Planck
An illustration of a pink and purple star-forming nebula.
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A large, amorphous blob in a subtle tear drop shape has layers of transparent, hazy color overlapping, starting with a small blue haze around the edge and moving inward to a dark purple, a redder purple, and then a brighter purple. While white dots representing stars speckle the whole image, in the center of this shape is a bright white oval cloud with more pronounced and larger stars grouped together.
Star-forming Nebula (Version One, Purple)
An illustration of NASA's NuSTAR space telescope.
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This illustration shows NASA's NuSTAR space telescope in shades of blue. Attached to the base of the instrument is a long, tower-like structure that extends out towards the front of the spacecraft that has a singular, wing-shaped solar array attached.
NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array)
An illustration of NASA’s CGRO spacecraft.
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A graphic of CGRO is shown in light and dark shades of blue. The body of the spacecraft is rectangular, topped with two circular objects. Solar panels extend to either side, and a long pole with a small satellite dish at the end extends from the front end of the spacecraft.
CGRO (Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory)
An illustration of a blazar, or an active galactic nucleus that emits a powerful radiation jet. 
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A graphic shows a diffused, dark purple ring that fades inward to a bright purple, a lighter purple, and eventually to a light blue gradient. At the center of the circular object is a small black circle from which a transparent beam is emitted, starting as a transparent blue and moving into green, yellow, orange and red.
Blazar
An illustration of the EXCLAIM instrument.
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An illustration in multiple shades of blue depicting EXCLAIM. The instrument is made up of a hollow cylindrical object next to a rectangular object. The whole instrument sits within a framework that extends upwards to a point, where it will attach to a balloon.
EXCLAIM (Experiment for Cryogenic Large-Aperture Intensity Mapping)
An illustration of a purple elliptical galaxy.
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A diffuse oval is outlined by dark purple but is primarily a medium, bright purple except for the center, a bright white spot surrounded by a small ring of white haze. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Elliptical Galaxy (Purple)
An illustration of the HaloSat spacecraft.
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This HaloSat illustration shows the space telescope in shades of blue. The body of the spacecraft is a rectangle with three circles along the long, narrow side. One solar panel extends from the spacecraft body.
HaloSat
An illustration of one of NASA's OAO spacecraft.
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This illustration shows one of NASA's OAO spacecraft in shades of blue. The body of the satellite is an octagon. The telescope opening is embedded at the top of the octagon, which also has a flap that is open. Two-layered solar panels are attached on both sides. Antennae extend from the top and bottom.
OAO (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory)
An illustration of a planetary nebula.
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In the background is a hazy pink and purple circle, with dark, transparent dark purple around the edge and lighter/brighter pinks leading inward. In front of the big circle is a purple object, shaped like a minimal, twisty lemon. Inside of this shape is a central, light yellow, cloudy circle with a bright white spot in the middle. All within the lemon-shaped object, the white spot is surrounded by a pink oblong oval shape which is overlapped by two large, pink circular shapes and two small, pink circular shapes. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Planetary Nebula (Version One, Pink)
An illustration showing a purple, front view of a barred spiral galaxy.
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A background of medium, bright purple shows a bright, white, thin line that creates an oblong, elongated swirl that connects in the middle with a yellowish, diffuse cloud. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Barred Spiral Galaxy (Front View, Purple)
An illustration of a purple spiral galaxy.
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A hazy range of purples makes up the base of this swirling spiral of light blue lines twirling inward toward a yellow cloud with a white spot in the center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Spiral Galaxy (Purple)
An illustration showing an edge-on view of a black hole.
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A graphic shows a central black circle outlined in white. This circle is surrounded by a black ring which is surrounded by a light blue ring which then fades outward into bright and then dark and diffuse purple. Across the middle of the image is a light blue line that gives the appearance of a ring around the circular object.
Black Hole (Side View)
A circular illustration of a supernova.
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A large circular shape with rounded waves around the edge, this graphic gives the appearance of a flower. Smaller transparent circles with the same wavy edge are layered inward to create an inner starburst shape. While the outer rings are a muddy, light red color, the inner starburst shape is a darker color with green around its edge and dark blue in the center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Supernova (Red)
An illustration of JAXA's Hitomi spacecraft.
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This Hitomi illustration shows the space telescope in shades of blue. The main body of the spacecraft is a long octagon with a cylindrical object on the front end. The cylinder has several smaller cylinders extending from it. On the back end of the satellite extends a long pole that ends in an octagonal panel. Solar panels extend to either side of the main body.
Hitomi
A horizontal oval illustration of a supernova.
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A large horizontal oval shape with stripes of lighter and darker green moves inward to a lighter green oval with waved edges. In the center is a dark green oval that appears like a starburst because of the waved outlines that lay on top. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Supernova (Light Green)
An illustration of an orange elliptical galaxy.
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A diffuse oval is outlined by dark orange but gets progressively lighter in rings towards the center, a bright white spot surrounded by a small ring of white haze. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Elliptical Galaxy (Orange)
An illustration of NASA's SPHEREx spacecraft.
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This illustration of NASA's SPHEREx mission shows the spacecraft in shades of blue. The main body of the spacecraft is cone shaped with smaller cone shapes within it, with a solar array "wing" stemming from the side of the craft.
SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer)

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