The Hubble Telescope Advent Calendar - 2011

Once Again, Alan Taylor at The Atlantic magazine is publishing his Hubble telescope Advent Calendar.  Each day he posts a new picture of our universe taken by the Hubble telescope.  Interestingly, these photos are processed through the University of Arizona which also hosts the stateside operations of the Vatican Observatory.

Contrary to popular belief, the Vatican has always actively promoted the sciences, especially the study of the stars and the universe.  The Vatican Observatory has its own website  (vaticanobservatory.org) where you can learn about its history and ongoing research of our universe and beyond.

Here is today's image, a picture of Jupiter's moon Ganymede, just before it disappears behind the planet.