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Peering into the heart of the Milky Way

Data from ESA’s Planck spacecraft and the European Southern Observatory’s international APEX experiment are combined to produce a unique view across the entire plane of the Milky Way galaxy showing details large and small, from the galactic core to its outer neighbourhoods.

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A tapestry of rippling sand dunes on Mars

Surrounding about a quarter of Mars’ northern polar cap is a vast field of crescent-shaped barchan sand dunes covering an area larger than the U.S. state of California. Seen in summer when the dunes were free of frost, Odyssey captured a stunning tapestry of unearthly wind-blown beauty.