Select views from various Image Tours. 鈥淭he Whirlpool Galaxy鈥� is at the top left, the 鈥淐enter of the Milky Way Galaxy鈥� is at the top right, a different, detailed view in the 鈥淐enter of the Milky Way Galaxy鈥� is at the bottom left, and 鈥淗erbig-Haro 46/47鈥� is at the bottom right.
News — Ready for a tour of the cosmos? NASA’s Universe of Learning has released a new, dynamic way for users to explore NASA’s breathtaking images of the universe—ViewSpace . ViewSpace has an established track record for providing museums, science centers, libraries, and other informal learning environments free, web-based , and digital interactives, like its . These Tours are another unique experience from NASA’s Universe of Learning, created through collaboration between scientists from science centers that operate NASA telescopes, and experts versed in the most modern methods of learning. Resources like these have long been valued by informal learning sites as effective means to engage and intrigue visitors with the latest discoveries from NASA’s space telescope missions, and encourage them to explore more about stars, galaxies, and distant worlds.
The “” Image Tour, for example, allows users to explore points of interest (called “Tour Stops”) in an image produced with a combination of data from three of NASA’s Great Observatories: the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. In one Tour Stop, users can interact with a dark region of space known as “the Brick” and see an observation captured by the Spitzer Space Telescope. This observation provides an image of a dark, dense, and kidney-shaped cloud of hydrogen molecules. The cloud is surrounded by a dotted line that distinguishes it from the vivid and colorful background of gas and dust with a description explaining what makes this area unique. In another Tour Stop, an embedded video zooms in from the night sky towards the black hole at the center of our galaxy, Sagittarius A*, guiding visitors through a few constellations on the way.
In other tours, like the “” Tour, users can navigate an observation from one mission. In this case, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope provides the backdrop where users can explore superheated jets of gas and dust shot out from a pair of young, forming stars. The power of Webb turns up unexpected details in the background, like the noteworthy distant galaxy famous for its uncanny resemblance to a question mark. Each Interactive Image Tour allows users to examine unique features like these through videos, images, or graphical overlays to identify how those features have formed in ways that traditional images alone don’t allow.
These tours illuminate the science behind the beauty, allowing an audience to develop a greater understanding of and excitement for the regions that interest them, regardless of their prior experience with astronomy. These new offerings, which include detailed visual descriptions for each Tour Stop, are available for lifelong learners to deepen their engagement with astronomy.
“The Image Tours are beautiful, dramatic, informational, and easy to use,” explained Sari Custer, Chief of Science and Curiosity at Arizona Science Center. “I'm excited to implement them in my museum not only because of the incredible images and user-friendly features, but also for the opportunity to excite and ignite the public's curiosity about space.”
The Interactive Image Tours offer an engaging, self-directed learning experience, designed for use in informal learning sites. ViewSpace includes many supporting resources to help new users learn about how the Image Tours work, and offers a free web app that converts a mobile device, like a tablet, into an Image Tour kiosk.
“People learn best through self-exploration and when provided a combination of channels to experience information,” said Timothy Rhue, Principal Informal Education Specialist at the Space Telescope Science Institute. “By allowing people to explore NASA images at their own pace with graphics, videos, and text, which work together to provide context, they walk away having learned more about the science that creates these beautiful images and feel more confident about their ability to understand science.”
As of April 2025, ViewSpace offers three Image Tours:
• : Peer through cosmic dust and uncover areas of intense activity near the Milky Way’s core, featuring imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
• : Witness how a tightly bound pair of young stars shapes their nebula through ejections of gas and dust in an image from the James Webb Space Telescope.
• : Explore the iconic swirling arms, glowing core, and surrounding stars and galaxies of a stunning spiral galaxy, with insights into star formation, galaxy structure, and more in a Hubble Space Telescope image.
To get started, check out the “” page on , which provides a detailed overview of how to use the Image Tours. New Image Tours are in development for the months ahead!
NASA's Universe of Learning is part of the NASA Science Activation program, from the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. The Science Activation program connects NASA science experts, real content and experiences, and community leaders in a way that activates minds and promotes deeper understanding of our world and beyond. Using its direct connection to the science and the experts behind the science, NASA's Universe of Learning provides resources and experiences that enable youth, families, and lifelong learners to explore fundamental questions in science, experience how science is done, and discover the universe for themselves. NASA’s Universe of Learning is a partnership between the Space Telescope Science Institute, Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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