FACT CHECK: No, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Did Not Find Image Of ‘Heaven’
A video shared on Instagram allegedly shows an image of “heaven” discovered by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
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Verdict: False
The photo is artwork, not genuine, a NASA spokesperson told Check Your Fact in an email.
Fact Check:
NASA has recently discovered a growing number of dark patches on the sun known as sunspots, which could pose a risk for strong solar flares, according to Fox News. Solar flares are large bursts of energy on the sun’s surface that can affect radio communications, electric power grids and navigation signals, the outlet reported.
An Instagram video claims to show an image of heaven taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The video opens with a woman introducing the claim before the alleged images are shown on screen, narrated by a man.
“NASA found heaven (footage leaked),” the video’s text reads. The man speaking in the video claims that the image was taken by NASA in 1990 and hidden until discovered in 1994. The image appears to show a glowing yellow civilization in the middle of space.
NASA took no such image, however.
“The image you’re referencing is artwork and is not a real Hubble image,” a NASA spokesperson told Check Your Fact via email. “NASA has extensive image and video databases. Any official NASA news or imagery will be shared via an official agency communications channel.” The spokesperson also referred Check Your Fact to NASA’s image database. (RELATED: Video Claims NASA Faked Footage From International Space Station)
The photo dates back to at least 2009, when it was posted to a site called Weekly World News. The site claims the image was taken on February 8, 1994, saying, “Just days after space shuttle astronauts repaired the Hubble Space Telescope in mid December, the giant lens focused on a star cluster at the edge of the universe – and photographed heaven!” USA Today referred to this site as “a beacon of shining fake news” in 2016.
