THE LAST TRANSMISSIONStories from the Edge of Science

THE VISUAL ARCHIVE / 376 FRAMES

Look into the dark.
Something looks back.

Artwork from the investigations, newest first. Open an image to see it larger. Every frame has a story separating the measured science from what the artwork imagines.

Showing 61–90 of 376 images · Page 3 of 13

An Ancient Lunar Basin and a Deeper QuestionAn imagined ancient lunar-basin landscape evokes the South Pole–Aitken question.The story behind this image
The Giant Behind a Reported Radio SignalAn imagined view of Beta Pictoris b, a young giant about 64 light-years away.The story behind this image
MeerKAT Beneath the Karoo SkyAn artistic view of the MeerKAT radio array in South Africa’s Karoo.The story behind this image
A Young Giant Inside a Debris SystemBeta Pictoris b orbits within a young system containing a dusty debris disk.The story behind this image
An Imagined Auroral EngineCharged particles interacting with a planetary magnetic field can generate auroral radio emission.The story behind this image
Interference Between Earth and the StarsHuman transmitters and nearby spacecraft complicate the search for faint signals from other star systems.The story behind this image
Jupiter as a Natural Radio ComparisonJupiter provides a nearby example of a planet whose magnetic environment generates powerful radio emissions.The story behind this image
A Star Hidden by Carbon DustA thick equatorial belt of carbon-rich dust blocks the central star from our view.The story behind this image
The Helium Flash Beneath the SurfaceA conceptual cutaway of the buried helium-shell flash.The story behind this image
The Millimeter View from ALMAALMA’s antennas in the Chilean Andes, with an imagined distant glow representing Sakurai’s Object.The story behind this image
An Hourglass Inferred from Molecular MotionAn artist’s visualization of the hourglass-shaped molecular outflows emerging around an expanding equatorial dust disc.The story behind this image
A Carbon-Rich Wind Around a Reheating RemnantAn imagined view of the reheating central star driving a carbon-rich, Wolf–Rayet-type wind while dust remains in the surrounding region.The story behind this image
An Engine Concealed by Dense GasAn artist’s interpretation of a compact engine concealed by dense gas, with radio-bright outflows interacting with the surrounding wind.The story behind this image
Surveys Across the Radio YearsAn illustrated view of the Very Large Array in New Mexico.The story behind this image
The Warped Disk as a Possible AddressAn artist’s reconstruction of a spiral galaxy resembling the Milky Way.The story behind this image
Electrons Tracing a Magnetic FieldA conceptual illustration of energetic electrons spiraling through magnetic fields, the process behind synchrotron radiation.The story behind this image
A Proposed Microquasar Inside a WindA conceptual cutaway of the proposed microquasar scenario.The story behind this image
SS 433 as an Imperfect ComparisonAn artist’s interpretation of SS 433 and its extended W50 nebula.The story behind this image
Voyager Beyond the HeliopauseArtist’s interpretation of Voyager 1 traveling beyond the heliopause, where the solar wind meets the interstellar medium.The story behind this image
A Boundary Without a Solid WallThere is no solid wall around the solar system.The story behind this image
Electrical Waves in Interstellar PlasmaVoyager 1’s antennas detect electromagnetic oscillations in the thin interstellar plasma.The story behind this image
Earth Waiting for a Distant ReplyEngineers communicate with Voyager through NASA’s Deep Space Network.The story behind this image
A Spacecraft Living on Fewer WattsVoyager 1 relies on plutonium-powered radioisotope thermoelectric generators rather than sunlight.The story behind this image
The Record That Travels After the SignalLong after Voyager 1 can no longer communicate with Earth, its Golden Record will continue traveling through the Milky Way.The story behind this image
An Impact on the Young EarthThe young Earth endured devastating impacts, yet their aftermath may also have created environments favorable to prebiotic chemistry.The story behind this image
A Possible Chemical RefugeA possible refuge for prebiotic chemistry: sheltered water and fractured rock beneath a hostile landscape.The story behind this image
Warm Water After the CatastropheAn impact basin after the catastrophe: residual heat and circulating water can produce hydrothermal environments.The story behind this image
RNA Chemistry Between Ice CrystalsRNA chemistry in liquid channels between ice crystals.The story behind this image
Mineral Pools Beneath an Ancient SkyVolcanic rock, rainfall, mineral chemistry, and changing water levels are ingredients in proposed routes toward RNA.The story behind this image
A Martian Basin Remembering WaterA dry Martian basin preserves the memory of water.The story behind this image

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