Space & describing pictures · News English
A galaxy from the side
A new Hubble image helps us look closely.
Read the story, check the words, then answer the questions and speak.
Look at the picture
What can you see in the picture?
1NASA shared a Hubble picture on 16 October. It shows a galaxy called NGC 1827. A galaxy is a very large group of stars. This one is far from Earth.
2We see the galaxy from the side. There is a bright part in the middle. There are dark lines across it. These lines contain dust. There are also bright blue areas.
3A bright star is near the middle of the picture. But it is not inside that galaxy. It is between us and the galaxy. Things can look close in a picture but be far apart in space.
4The picture is part of a study of galaxies. Look slowly. What is bright? What is dark?
Original teaching summary. Models and practice examples are illustrative, not news quotations.
Word help · Three useful words
Read the meanings and examples. Choose one word to use in your own sentence.
middle
the centre of something
The ball is in the middle.
bright
full of light
The lamp is bright.
dust
very small pieces of material
There is dust on the shelf.
Check your reading · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Useful English
There is a bright star. There are dark lines. Use is for one thing and are for more than one.
Describe two things in the picture. Use there is and there are.
Speak: your ideas
Describe two things in the picture. Use there is and there are.
Labelled model answer
Model: There is a bright middle. There are dark lines.
Illustrative learning example, not a news quotation.
Alone: repeat without the model. Tutor: ask a follow-up question.
Mastery check · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Sources and reporting date
NASA report published 2026-10-16 at 08:42:08 EDT (UTC-04:00).
- NASA’s Hubble Spies Spiral’s Edge
NASA report published 2026-10-16 at 08:42:08 EDT (UTC-04:00). - Photograph source
Hubble observation released 16 October 2026. Exact observation date not stated in the report.