# @europeanspaceagency on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DFx2bWRssFm
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35582235-europeanspaceagency-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/ffd609245d.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-02-07T16:50:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** J.L.Lopez (@xandler80) — https://gondola.cc/xandler80

## Caption

Share this with the Aquarius in your life! ♒

The constellation of Aquarius is home to some spectacular celestial objects, captured in stunning detail by HubbleESA and ESAWebb. From a dazzling planetary nebula to a jellyfish-like galaxy, here are four cosmic wonders you won’t want to miss:

1. Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) – One of the closest planetary nebulae to Earth, this glowing tunnel of gas spans nearly 3 light-years. A dying Sun-like star shed its outer layers, creating this vibrant ring of oxygen (blue) and hydrogen/nitrogen (red). Thousands of comet-like filaments point towards its scorching white dwarf core.

2. RX J2129 & a Triply-Lensed Supernova – ESAWebb captured this massive galaxy cluster 3.2 billion light-years away, where gravitational lensing has distorted and magnified a background supernova-hosting galaxy. This cosmic mirage helps astronomers refine distance measurements across the Universe!

3. Messier 2 Globular Cluster – A dense sphere of 150 000 ancient stars, Messier 2 is one of the largest and oldest clusters in the Milky Way. At 13 billion years old, it has witnessed almost the entire history of our galaxy. It shines so brightly in Aquarius that, under perfect conditions, it’s visible to the naked eye!

4. Jellyfish Galaxy JO206 – This striking galaxy, 700 million light-years away, trails long tendrils of star formation like jellyfish tentacles. As it moves through a galaxy cluster, hot plasma strips gas from its disc, triggering new stars in its wake. Surprisingly, star formation here mirrors that in its main disc, revealing insights into extreme cosmic environments!

Swipe through to see these incredible views and celebrate Aquarius season with some of the most mesmerising sights in the Universe!

📸 NASA, NOAO, europeanspaceagency, the Hubble Helix Nebula Team, M. Meixner (space_telescopes), and T.A. Rector (NRAO); creativecommons BY 4.0
📸 ESA/Webb, NASA & canadianspaceagency, P. Kelly; CC BY 4.0
📸 ESA/Hubble & NASA, G. Piotto et al.; CC BY 4.0
📸 ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Gullieuszik and the GASP team; CC BY 4.0

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## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESA - European Space Agency | @europeanspaceagency | https://gondola.cc/europeanspaceagency | Government Organization |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Editor |
| Hubble Space Telescope | @hubbleesa | https://gondola.cc/hubbleesa | Photographer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Publisher |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Copywriter |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Community Manager |

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