100 WONDERS of the UNIVERSE

OUR COSMOS IS FULL OF AMAZING SIGHTS, FROM EXOTIC EXOPLANETS TO STUNNING GALAXIES

1 SATURN'S RINGS

First observed by Galileo in 1610, these structures are incredibly thin, just one kilometre (0.62 miles) from top to bottom. They're made up of billions of particles of ice and rock, some as large as mountains and others too small to be seen with the naked eye. It's not known how old the rings are, or how they formed, but it's thought that the fragments are pieces of shattered moons, smashed to bits by collisions in the not too distant past.

2 ANDROMEDA GALAXY

Currently just over 2 million light years from Earth, our closest spiral galaxy Andromeda and its 100 billion stars are rapidly getting closer. They're rushing towards us at a speed of 402,000 kilometres (250,000 miles) per hour on a course for collision 4 billion years from now.

3 THE MOON

The Moon is a wonder right on our doorstep. As it orbits Earth; its gravity tugs on the oceans, creating a measurable bulge. As the oceans swell, we see the effects as tides. The Sun has a similar, but smaller, effect, and when the Moon and the Sun are in line, the pull on the oceans adds together, creating extra high 'spring tides' once a fortnight.

4 THE PILLARS OF CREATION

These iconic columns of gas and dust were first imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995, and in 2015 the pictures were retaken in high definition. Lit by ultraviolet radiation released by massive young stars in the Eagle Nebula, the pillars are constantly being shaped, heated and eroded, and hidden inside are the infrared traces of brandnew stars.

5 SOMBRERO GALAXY