Hubble Telescope: Viewmaster of The Universe Quiz

Answer: Cigar Galaxy

The Cigar Galaxy (Messier 82 / NGC 3034) was first discovered by German astronomer Johann Elert Bode in 1774 and can be found within the Ursa Major (the Great Bear) constellation. The Cigar Galaxy is approximately 12 million light years from Earth and is considered to be a starburst galaxy, which, per Wikipedia, is "a galaxy undergoing an exceptionally high rate of star formation." The Cigar Galaxy has provided astronomers with some unique treasures as scientists were able to observe one of the closest known Type 1a supernovas as well as one of the brightest known pulsars here in 2014.

Answer: Cosmic Caterpillar

The "Cosmic Caterpillar" is believed to be a protostar that is considered to still be in the early stages of development. Its official designation is IRAS 20324+4057 and it is located 4,500 light years away in the Cygnus (the Swan) constellation region.

The interstellar gas is estimated to be over one light-year in length. IRAS is an acronym which stands for Infrared Astronomical Satellite which was launched in 1983 and was responsible for discovering over 200,000 objects.

Answer: Index Catalogue

IC 4499 is a globular cluster, a large spherical grouping of stars, that can be found within the constellation Apus (the Bird of Paradise). The initials IC stand for Index Catalogue, one of two sub-catalogues of the larger New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars (aka NGC).

The NGC was created by Danish/British astronomer John Louis Emil Dreyer in 1888, while the two Index Catalogues were created in 1895 and 1908.

Answer: Whirlpool Galaxy

The Whirlpool Galaxy (Messier 51A / NGC 5194) is a spiral galaxy found approximately 31 million light-years away in the the Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs) constellation. The Whirlpool Galaxy is also gravitationally linked to a dwarf galaxy (upper right of the photo) which is designated as Messier 51B or NGC 5195.

The Whirlpool Galaxy was first discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1773. Charles Messier was primarily interested in discovering comets. Anything else that he discovered, was placed into a separate catalogue that is known today as the Messier Catalogue.

Answer: Veil Nebula

The Veil Nebula was created via a supernova that is believed to have occurred over 10,000 years ago. It was first discovered by British scientist William Herschel in 1784. The Veil Nebula can be found within the Cygnus constellation and is over 2,400 light-years away from the Earth. Due to the size of the nebula, various parts of it have been given different IC and NGC designations.

The star that went supernova to form the Veil Nebula is estimated to have been nearly 20 times larger than the Sun.

The nebula was first observed by Hubble in 1997 and subsequent photographs have shown that it is still expanding.

Answer: RS Puppis

RS Puppis has been identified as a Cepheid variable star. These are stars that are hotter and more massive than the Sun that pulsate radially and fluctuate in both diameter and temperature. RS Puppis is approximately 5,600 light-years away from the Earth.

The Puppis constellation was originally part of a larger constellation called Argo Navis, which was named after the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts. Puppis represents the stern or poop deck of the ship. The constellations Carina (the hull) and Vela (the sails) were also part of Argo Navis, which was divided up in 1755.

Answer: Sombrero Galaxy

The Sombrero Galaxy (Messier 104 / NGC 4954) can be found between the constellations Virgo (the Virgin) and Corvus (the Crow). It is approximately 31 million light-years away from the Earth. The galaxy's orientation from Earth's perspective led astronomers to give it its nickname as the Sombrero Galaxy.

The Sombrero Galaxy was first discovered in 1781 by French astronomer Pierre Mechain who was a close friend and colleague of Charles Messier.

Answer: Hoag's Object

Hoag's Object is a rare kind of ring galaxy that was discovered by American astronomer Arthur Hoag in 1950. It can be found in the constellation Serpens (the Serpent). Serpens is a unique constellation as it is comprised of two halves, Serpens Caput (the Serpent's head) and Serpens Cauda (the Serpent's tail).

These two halves are separated by the constellation Ophiuchus (the Serpent Bearer). Hoag's Object is located in Serpens Caput and is over 600 million light years away from the Earth.

Answer: Pillars of Creation

The Pillars of Creation are columns of interstellar gas that can be found within the Eagle Nebula, which can also found in the constellation Serpens (Serpens Cauda). They are seen as nurseries that are in the process of breeding new stars. The Pillars are one of the earliest and most famous images ever captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

When the Hubble Space Telescope was first launched it had a serious defect with its main mirror which almost ruined the project. In 1994, astronauts were able to successfully repair the telescope, which is seen as one of NASA's greatest accomplishments.

Answer: V838 Monocerotis

V838 Monocerotis is a star located in the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn) and is estimated to be approximately 19,000 light years away from the Earth. In 2002, the Hubble Space Telescope captured photos of a star seemingly exploding, however it was not a supernova. Astronomers have described the event as a luminous red nova which is believed to have been caused by the merging of two stars. Numerous images of the phenomenon were captured by Hubble which lasted for a little over a year. You can find time lapse videos online that show the progression of the nova.