What could people observe, measure or test?
Knowledge in motion
Trace how people learned to see.
From lenses and laboratories to genomes, gravitational waves and distant galaxies.Start the scientific timeline ↓49 science milestones20 NASA space records20 Nobel-linked breakthroughs
A novice-friendly route
One timeline. Five ways to understand progress.
Use the timeline to compare discoveries across fields. Then move outward through the universe: worlds close to home, stars, galaxies and the deep cosmos. Every visual links to its source record.
Which tools made a new question possible?
What changed in the best available explanation?
How did lives, environments or institutions change?
What evidence limits the claim or invites revision?
Interactive discovery timeline
Scientific breakthroughs over time
Filter by field, search a person or idea, and open any event for an illustrated account, English narration and evidence trail.
49 milestones in view
Copernican heliocentrism
Nicolaus Copernicus published a Sun-centered mathematical model that reordered the planets and set a long debate about observation, calculation and authority in motion.
Joint-stock companies, exchanges and global finance
The Dutch East India Company, the Amsterdam exchange, insurance and public debt helped create durable institutions for pooling capital, trading shares and financing long-distance commerce.
Telescope, microscope and experimental observation
New optical instruments brought moons, planets, cells, insects and other previously unseen worlds into view, making careful observation a decisive scientific practice.
Circulation of the blood
William Harvey argued from experiment and anatomy that the heart pumps blood through a continuous circulation rather than the body continually making and consuming it.
Probability, statistics and the measurement of populations
Work on probability, mortality tables, census methods and statistical inference made uncertainty, population change and social conditions measurable in new ways.
Newtonian physics
Isaac Newton’s Principia connected terrestrial motion and celestial motion through mathematical laws of motion and universal gravitation.
Steam power and industrial energy
Newcomen and then Watt steam engines converted heat from coal into mechanical work that could pump mines, drive machinery and move transport systems.
Electricity and electromagnetism
Experiments on charge, batteries, current and electromagnetic induction established the principles that would later power generators, motors and electrical networks.
Mechanized textiles, machine tools and factory production
Spinning, weaving, precision metalworking and powered machinery shifted production from dispersed workshops toward factories organized around capital, energy and wage labor.
Political economy and industrial capitalism
Debates over markets, labor, land, value, poverty and industrial growth became formal political economy, from Adam Smith to Karl Marx and many critics of empire and capitalism.
Modern chemistry and the periodic table
Lavoisier’s chemical language and later periodic classifications made elements, mass and recurring properties easier to identify, compare and predict.
Railways, steamships and networked transport
Railways and steamships made the movement of people, raw materials, food, mail and armies faster, more regular and increasingly integrated across continents and oceans.
Photography, film and the recorded image
Chemical photography and then motion pictures made it possible to preserve, reproduce and circulate visual records at a scale unavailable to earlier generations.
Electrical communication and recording
Telegraphy, telephony, sound recording and radio turned electrical signals into systems for rapid communication, coordination and mass media.
Cell theory, neurons and modern physiology
Microscopy, cell theory, experimental physiology and the neuron doctrine recast living bodies as organized systems of cells, organs, signals and chemical processes.
Anesthesia, germ theory and public health
Anesthesia made new forms of surgery possible while germ theory, antisepsis, vaccination and sanitation changed how communities explained and prevented disease.
Evolution and heredity
Darwin’s account of natural selection and Mendel’s experiments on inheritance supplied new frameworks for explaining change, diversity and traits in living organisms.
Internal combustion, automobiles and mass mobility
Improved internal-combustion engines and the automobile industry turned liquid fuel into personal and freight mobility on a vast scale, especially through twentieth-century mass production.
X-rays, radioactivity and quantum physics
X-rays, radioactivity and quantum theory revealed that matter and energy behaved in ways classical physics could not fully explain.
Blood groups, insulin and modern clinical physiology
The discovery of blood groups made safer transfusion possible, while insulin transformed the treatment of diabetes and demonstrated the therapeutic power of physiology and biochemistry.
Powered flight
The Wright brothers achieved sustained, controlled powered flight, beginning a rapid transformation of transport, warfare, migration and global connection.
Relativity and the expanding universe
Relativity recast gravity as the geometry of space-time, while observations of distant galaxies supported a universe that was not static.
Assembly lines and mass production
Moving assembly lines divided production into repeatable tasks, allowing factories to make standardized goods rapidly and at much larger scale.
Penicillin and antibiotics
Fleming’s observation and the later development of penicillin opened the antibiotic era, making many bacterial infections treatable for the first time.
Macroeconomics, national accounts and welfare states
The Great Depression and wartime planning accelerated macroeconomics, national-income accounting and new arguments for public employment, social insurance and economic stabilization.
Nuclear fission and the nuclear age
Researchers showed that splitting some atomic nuclei released enormous energy, leading rapidly to reactors and atomic weapons during the Second World War.
Green Revolution and crop science
New crop varieties, fertilizer, irrigation and agricultural research raised yields in many regions, especially in wheat and rice systems.
Transistor, electronic computing and microprocessors
The transistor replaced bulky vacuum tubes, while electronic computers and then microprocessors made information processing smaller, faster and cheaper.
Information theory and digital communication
Claude Shannon’s mathematical treatment of information, noise and channel capacity made communication measurable and provided a common language for computing and telecommunications.
DNA structure and molecular biology
Work on DNA’s double helix, the genetic code and molecular tools connected heredity to physical molecules that could be read and manipulated.
Organ transplantation and immunosuppression
Successful kidney transplantation, improved surgical practice and immunosuppressive medicines gradually made replacement of failing organs a realistic clinical option.
Renewable electricity and the energy transition
Solar cells, wind turbines, power electronics and grid technologies steadily turned renewable energy from specialist experiments into a major part of electricity systems.
Polio vaccines and mass immunization
Salk and Sabin polio vaccines, delivered through large public campaigns, showed how laboratory science, manufacturing and coordinated health systems could sharply reduce a feared disease.
Containerization and global supply chains
Standard shipping containers, cranes, ports and intermodal logistics reduced handling costs and reorganized manufacturing, retail and trade across the world.
Space age and Earth observation
Satellites, probes and orbital observatories made new forms of navigation, communication, weather forecasting and global environmental observation possible.
Lasers, fiber optics and modern photonics
Lasers and low-loss optical fibers made it possible to control and transmit light with extraordinary precision for communication, measurement, surgery and manufacturing.
Plate tectonics and Earth-system science
Evidence from seafloor mapping, magnetism, earthquakes and continental movement established plate tectonics as the unifying framework for understanding Earth’s dynamic surface.
Electronic markets, digital money and fintech
Electronic trading, payment cards, automated clearing, online banking and later mobile money moved finance from paper records toward rapid digital networks.
CT, MRI and non-invasive medical imaging
Computed tomography and magnetic-resonance imaging allowed clinicians to see inside living bodies in unprecedented detail without exploratory surgery.
In vitro fertilization and reproductive medicine
The birth of the first IVF baby demonstrated that fertilization and early embryo development could be supported outside the body, beginning a new era of assisted reproduction.
GPS, mobile networks and digital navigation
Satellite positioning, cellular networks and portable devices made location, communication and navigation continuously available to billions of people.
PCR and molecular diagnostics
Polymerase chain reaction made it possible to amplify chosen DNA sequences rapidly, turning tiny biological samples into usable material for research and testing.
Human Genome Project and genomics
An international research effort produced a reference sequence for most of the human genome and accelerated tools for reading DNA at scale.
Hubble Space Telescope and deep-space vision
Hubble’s long-running observations in orbit produced images and measurements that transformed studies of galaxies, stellar life cycles, dark energy and the evolving universe.
CRISPR gene editing
CRISPR-based systems made it far easier to target and alter genetic sequences, turning a microbial defense mechanism into a flexible laboratory tool.
Machine learning, deep learning and AI systems
Advances in data, graphics processors and neural-network methods made machine-learning systems far more capable at perception, prediction, language and scientific pattern finding.
Gravitational waves and multimessenger astronomy
LIGO detected gravitational waves from merging black holes, and later observations linked a neutron-star merger to light across the electromagnetic spectrum.
mRNA vaccines
mRNA vaccine platforms delivered genetic instructions that helped cells produce a target antigen, enabling rapid development during the COVID-19 pandemic.
James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope began infrared observations that probe early galaxies, star formation, exoplanet atmospheres and the Solar System.
Astronomy, astrophysics & space science
Move outward, one scale at a time.
These are observation-led images from NASA missions, telescopes and archives. Where direct imaging is impossible, the page labels an official scientific visualization rather than presenting it as a photograph.
Cosmic guide
Solar System · NASA mission image
Image of Sun From NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory
On Sept. 10, 2025, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of the Sun. SDO is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Its Atmosphere Imaging Assembly was built by the Lockheed Martin Solar Astrophysics Laboratory in Palo Alto, California. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26681
NASA image record ↗Solar System · NASA mission image
Today, MESSENGER Flies by Mercury!
Today, MESSENGER Flies by Mercury!
NASA image record ↗Solar System · NASA mission image
Venus - Magellan and Arecibo Comparison
This image shows a comparison between NASA Magellan image right and the highest resolution Earth-based Arecibo radar image of Venus. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00207
NASA image record ↗Solar System · NASA mission image
NASA Releases New High-Resolution Earthrise Image
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) recently captured a unique view of Earth from the spacecraft's vantage point in orbit around the moon. "The image is simply stunning," said Noah Petro, Deputy Project Scientist for LRO at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The image of the Earth evokes the famous 'Blue Marble' image taken by Astronaut Harrison Schmitt during Apollo 17, 43 years ago, which also showed Africa prominently in the picture." In this composite image we see Earth appear to rise over the lunar horizon from the viewpoint of the spacecraft, with the center of the Earth just off the coast of Liberia (at 4.04 degrees North, 12.44 degrees West). The large tan area in the upper right is the Sahara Desert, and just beyond is Saudi Arabia. The Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America are visible to the left. On the moon, we get a glimpse of the crater Compton, which is located just beyond the eastern limb of the moon, on the lunar farside. LRO was launched on June 18, 2009, and has collected a treasure trove of data with its seven powerful instruments, making an invaluable contribution to our knowledge about the moon. LRO experiences 12 earthrises every day; however the spacecraft is almost always busy imaging the lunar surface so only rarely does an opportunity arise such that its camera instrument can capture a view of Earth. Occasionally LRO points off into space to acquire observations of the extremely thin lunar atmosphere and perform instrument calibration measurements. During these movements sometimes Earth (and other planets) pass through the camera's field of view and dramatic images such as the one shown here are acquired. This image was composed from a series of images taken Oct. 12, when LRO was about 83 miles (134 kilometers) above the moon's farside crater Compton. Capturing an image of the Earth and moon with LRO's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) instrument is a complicated task. First the spacecraft must be rolled to the side (in this case 67 degrees), then the spacecraft slews with the direction of travel to maximize the width of the lunar horizon in LROC's Narrow Angle Camera image. All this takes place while LRO is traveling faster than 3,580 miles per hour (over 1,600 meters per second) relative to the lunar surface below the spacecraft! The high-resolution Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) on LRO takes black-and-white images, while the lower resolution Wide Angle Camera (WAC) takes color images, so you might wonder how we got a high-resolution picture of the Earth in color. Since the spacecraft, Earth, and moon are all in motion, we had to do some special processing to create an image that represents the view of the Earth and moon at one particular time. The final Earth image contains both WAC and NAC information. WAC provides the color, and the NAC provides high-resolution detail. "From the Earth, the daily moonrise and moonset are always inspiring moments," said Mark Robinson of Arizona State University in Tempe, principal investigator for LROC. "However, lunar astronauts will see something very different: viewed from the lunar surface, the Earth never rises or sets. Since the moon is tidally locked, Earth is always in the same spot above the horizon, varying only a small amount with the slight wobble of the moon. The Earth may not move across the 'sky', but the view is not static. Future astronauts will see the continents rotate in and out of view and the ever-changing pattern of clouds will always catch one's eye, at least on the nearside. The Earth is never visible from the farside; imagine a sky with no Earth or moon - what will farside explorers think with no Earth overhead?" NASA's first Earthrise image was taken with the Lunar Orbiter 1 spacecraft in 1966. Perhaps NASA's most iconic Earthrise photo was taken by the crew of the Apollo 8 mission as the spacecraft entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve Dec. 24, 1968. That evening, the astronauts -- Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders -- held a live broadcast from lunar orbit, in which they showed pictures of the Earth and moon as seen from their spacecraft. Said Lovell, "The vast loneliness is awe-inspiring and it makes you realize just what you have back there on Earth." Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagrid.me/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>
NASA image record ↗Solar System · NASA mission image
Spirit Mars Rover in McMurdo Panorama
This 360-degree view, called the McMurdo panorama, from NASA Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, where the rover stayed on a small hill known as Low Ridge from April through October 2006.
NASA image record ↗Small worlds · NASA mission image
Ancient Comet Spotted Over Southeast Louisiana Near NASA Michoud
The Oort Cloud comet, called C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, passes over Southeast Louisiana near New Orleans, home of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. The comet is making its first appearance in documented human history; it was last seen in the night sky 80,000 years ago. The Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet made its first close pass by Earth in mid-October and will remain visible to viewers in the Northern Hemisphere just between the star Arcturus and planet Venus through early November.
NASA image record ↗Outer planets · NASA mission image
Uranus as seen by NASA Voyager 2
This is an image of the planet Uranus taken by the spacecraft Voyager 2 in 1986.
NASA image record ↗Outer planets · NASA mission image
PIA01492
This picture of Neptune was produced from the last whole planet images taken through the green and orange filters on NASA's Voyager 2 narrow angle camera. The images were taken at a range of 4.4 million miles from the planet, 4 days and 20 hours before closest approach. The picture shows the Great Dark Spot and its companion bright smudge; on the west limb the fast moving bright feature called Scooter and the little dark spot are visible. These clouds were seen to persist for as long as Voyager's cameras could resolve them. North of these, a bright cloud band similar to the south polar streak may be seen. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01492
NASA image record ↗Outer planets · NASA mission image
New Horizons Sees Pluto
The Long Range Reconnaissance Imager on NASA New Horizons acquired images of the Pluto field three days apart in late September 2006, in order to see Pluto motion against a dense background of stars.
NASA image record ↗Other planetary systems · NASA mission image
NASA Team Looks to Ancient Earth First to Study Hazy Exoplanets
“We like to say that Archean Earth is the most alien planet we have geochemical data for,” For astronomers trying to understand which distant planets might have habitable conditions, the role of atmospheric haze has been hazy. To help sort it out, a team of researchers has been looking to Earth – specifically Earth during the Archean era, an epic 1-1/2-billion-year period early in our planet’s history. Read more: <a href="http://go.nasa.gov/2kTBhPU" rel="nofollow">go.nasa.gov/2kTBhPU</a> Caption: When haze built up in the atmosphere of Archean Earth, the young planet might have looked like this artist's interpretation - a pale orange dot. A team led by Goddard scientists thinks the haze was self-limiting, cooling the surface by about 36 degrees Fahrenheit (20 Kelvins) – not enough to cause runaway glaciation. The team’s modeling suggests that atmospheric haze might be helpful for identifying earthlike exoplanets that could be habitable. Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Francis Reddy
NASA image record ↗Stars · NASA mission image
N44C nebula
Resembling the hair in Botticelli famous portrait of the birth of Venus, an image from NASA Hubble Space Telescope has captured softly glowing filaments streaming from hot young stars in a nearby nebula.
NASA image record ↗Stars · NASA mission image
NASA's Hubble Sees A New Supernova Remnant Light Up
NASA image release June 10, 2011 Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope are witnessing the unprecedented transition of a supernova to a supernova remnant, where light from an exploding star in a neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, reached Earth in February 1987. Named Supernova 1987A, it was the closest supernova explosion witnessed in almost 400 years. The supernova's close proximity to Earth has allowed astronomers to study it in detail as it evolves. Now, the supernova debris, which has faded over the years, is brightening. This means that a different power source has begun to light the debris. The debris of SN 1987A is beginning to impact the surrounding ring, creating powerful shock waves that generate X-rays observed with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Those X-rays are illuminating the supernova debris and shock heating is making it glow in visible light. The results are being reported in the June 9, 2011, issue of the journal Nature by a team including Robert Kirshner of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), who leads a long-term study of SN 1987A with Hubble. Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble telescope has provided a continuous record of the changes in SN 1987A. Credit: NASA, ESA, and P. Challis (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Join us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://web.stagram.com/n/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>
NASA image record ↗Galaxies · NASA mission image
A Cauldron of Stars at the Galaxy Center
This dazzling infrared image from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope shows hundreds of thousands of stars crowded into the swirling core of our spiral Milky Way galaxy.
NASA image record ↗Galaxies · NASA mission image
NASA Hubble Sees Sparring Antennae Galaxies
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has snapped the best ever image of the Antennae Galaxies. Hubble has released images of these stunning galaxies twice before, once using observations from its Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) in 1997, and again in 2006 from the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Each of Hubble’s images of the Antennae Galaxies has been better than the last, due to upgrades made during the famous servicing missions, the last of which took place in 2009. The galaxies — also known as NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 — are locked in a deadly embrace. Once normal, sedate spiral galaxies like the Milky Way, the pair have spent the past few hundred million years sparring with one another. This clash is so violent that stars have been ripped from their host galaxies to form a streaming arc between the two. In wide-field images of the pair the reason for their name becomes clear — far-flung stars and streamers of gas stretch out into space, creating long tidal tails reminiscent of antennae. This new image of the Antennae Galaxies shows obvious signs of chaos. Clouds of gas are seen in bright pink and red, surrounding the bright flashes of blue star-forming regions — some of which are partially obscured by dark patches of dust. The rate of star formation is so high that the Antennae Galaxies are said to be in a state of starburst, a period in which all of the gas within the galaxies is being used to form stars. This cannot last forever and neither can the separate galaxies; eventually the nuclei will coalesce, and the galaxies will begin their retirement together as one large elliptical galaxy. This image uses visible and near-infrared observations from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), along with some of the previously-released observations from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Credit: NASA/European Space Agency <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>
NASA image record ↗Outer planets · Observational or mission image
The Familiar Division
The Cassini Division appears to emerge out of Saturn shadow in this Cassini spacecraft image
NASA image record ↗Small worlds · Observational or mission image
A Region of Bennu’s Northern Hemisphere Close Up
This trio of images acquired by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft shows a wide shot and two close-ups of a region in asteroid Bennu’s northern hemisphere. The wide-angle image (left), obtained by the spacecraft’s MapCam camera, shows a 590-foot (180-meter) wide area with many rocks, including some large boulders, and a “pond” of regolith that is mostly devoid of large rocks. The two closer images, obtained by the high-resolution PolyCam camera, show details of areas in the MapCam image, specifically a 50-foot (15 meter) boulder (top) and the regolith pond (bottom). The PolyCam frames are 101 feet (31 meters) across and the boulder depicted is approximately the same size as a humpback whale. The images were taken on February 25 while the spacecraft was in orbit around Bennu, approximately 1.1 miles (1.8 km) from the asteroid’s surface. The observation plan for this day provided for one MapCam and two PolyCam images every 10 minutes, allowing for this combination of context and detail of Bennu’s surface. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona
NASA image record ↗Solar System · Observational or mission image
Photograph of nearly full moon taken from Apollo 8
AS08-14-2506 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- This photograph of a nearly full moon was taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft at a point above 70 degrees east longitude. (Hold picture with moon's dark portion at left). Mare Crisium, the circular, dark-colored area near the center, is near the eastern edge of the moon as viewed from Earth. Mare Nectaris is the circular mare near the terminator. The large, irregular maira are Tranquillitatis and Fecunditatis. The terminator at left side of picture crosses Mare Tranquillitatis and highlands to the south. Lunar farside features occupy most of the right half of the picture. The large, dark-colored crater Tsiolkovsky is near the limb at the lower right. Conspicuous bright rays radiate from two large craters, one to the north of Tsiolkovsky, the other near the limb in the upper half of the picture. These rayed craters were not conspicuous in Lunar Orbiter photography due to the low sun elevations when the Lunar Orbiter photography was made. The crater Langrenus is near the center of the picture at the eastern edge of Mare Fecunditatis. The lunar surface probably has less pronounced color that indicated by this print.
NASA image record ↗Outer planets · Observational or mission image
Jupiter's Swirling Cloudscape
Intricate swirls in Jupiter's volatile northern hemisphere are captured in this color-enhanced image from NASA's Juno spacecraft. Bursts of bright-white "pop-up" clouds appear scattered throughout the scene, with some visibly casting shadows on the neighboring cloud layers beneath them. Juno scientists are using shadows to determine the distances between cloud layers in Jupiter's atmosphere, which provide clues to their composition and origin. This image was taken at 10:27 p.m. PDT on May 23, 2018 (1:27 a.m. EDT on May 24) as the spacecraft performed its 13th close flyby of Jupiter. At the time, Juno was about 7,050 miles (11,350 kilometers) from the planet's cloud tops, above a northern latitude of approximately 49 degrees. Citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran created this image using data from the spacecraft's JunoCam imager. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22687
NASA image record ↗Extreme universe · Observational or mission image
Black Hole Spills Kaleidoscope of Color
This new false-colored image from NASA Hubble, Chandra and Spitzer space telescopes shows a giant jet of particles that has been shot out from the vicinity of a type of supermassive black hole called a quasar.
NASA image record ↗Cosmology · Observational or mission image
JWST’s First Full-Color Images
Assistant Director of Science at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Michelle Thaller, left, speaks with NASA James Webb Space Telescope Operations Project Scientist Jane Rigby, right, about the Webb Deep Field image as it is shown on screen during a broadcast releasing the telescope’s first full-color images, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The first full-color images and spectroscopic data from the James Webb Space Telescope, a partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), are a demonstration of the power of Webb as the telescope begins its science mission to unfold the infrared universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA image record ↗A history of space knowledge
From naked-eye skies to infrared galaxies.
Each step pairs a concise historical explanation with a labelled NASA visual record. The image is evidence of how we see the universe today—not a claim that it was available to the people named in the milestone.
1543A Sun-centred modelCopernicus put a mathematical heliocentric model into print.
Modern solar observation · NASA record ↗
1609Telescopic astronomyGalileo’s observations made moons, planetary phases and sunspots evidence.
Planetary surface observation · NASA record ↗
1687Gravity connects sky and EarthNewton linked falling bodies and orbits through universal gravitation.
Orbital worlds · NASA record ↗
1781Uranus foundWilliam Herschel’s observation expanded the known planetary system.
Voyager 2 record · NASA record ↗
1846Neptune predicted and observedMathematics and observation converged on a new planet.
Voyager 2 record · NASA record ↗
1915General relativityEinstein recast gravity as the geometry of spacetime.
NASA scientific visualization · NASA record ↗
1929An expanding universeGalaxy redshifts provided evidence that cosmic distances are growing.
Infrared galactic centre · NASA record ↗
1957SputnikThe first artificial satellite opened the space age.
Earth seen from lunar orbit · NASA record ↗
1969Apollo 11Humans landed on the Moon and returned samples and observations.
Apollo-era lunar view · NASA record ↗
1990HubbleA space observatory made deep, high-resolution astronomical observation routine.
Hubble nebula observation · NASA record ↗
1992Planets beyond the SunThe first confirmed exoplanets around a pulsar enlarged the map of planetary systems.
NASA scientific visualization · NASA record ↗
2015Gravitational wavesLIGO detected ripples in spacetime from merging black holes.
Exploding-star aftermath · NASA record ↗- 2022Webb’s first images
Infrared observations opened new views of early galaxies, stellar nurseries and exoplanet atmospheres.
JWST observation · NASA record ↗
Nobel-recognised breakthroughs
Prize-winning science in context.
This is a navigable index of landmark Nobel-linked advances, not a claim that every award is an invention. Every entry now leads to its official Nobel record and is paired with a distinct, rights-cleared atlas visual.
Institutional research shelves
Keep exploring through trusted collections.
These stable institutional home pages and catalogue portals complement the item-level image records throughout the atlas. They replace fragile one-off links with sources that remain useful even when a specific collection item moves.
NASA Science ↗Mission explainers, data and image recordsNobel Prize ↗Official award citations and biographical recordsNational Library of Medicine ↗Medical history, collections and research resourcesLibrary of Congress ↗Digitized books, maps, photographs and newspapersRoyal Society ↗Scientific papers and the history of experimentSmithsonian ↗Museum collections, objects and public scholarship