This awesome NASA image pays tribute to soccer king Pele

NASA pays a unique tribute to late soccer king Pele with a picture of a Spiral Galaxy. Here's how.

NASA honours late soccer player Pele with a mesmerizing image of a spiral galaxy. (NASA / Instagram)

Pele, the three-time World Cup winner who is widely known as the greatest soccer player of all time, died on December 29, 2022 at the age of 82. The world is mourning the demise of the soccer King. It also triggered a wave of tributes from the sports world, his fans, and even beyond that. Now, the space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) joined others to pay a heartfelt tribute to the legend. And even NASA did it in a unique manner. NASA took to its Instagram handle to share an image of a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor captured by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite, or GALEX, showing the colors of Brazil.

"We mark the passing of the legendary Pele, known to many as the king of the "beautiful game." NASA said along with the shared spiral galaxy image. The space agency described the image as "an image of a spiral galaxy with spiral arms dotted with blue stars of varying intensity. The core of the galaxy is brightest, and the stars appear yellow-green.” The formation of stars in the image resembles the color of the national flag of Brazil which made NASA share the image to pay tribute to the Brazilian legend.

History of the GALEX

This unique image which paid tribute to soccer king Pele, was captured by GALEX, the Galaxy Evolution Explorer. It is an orbiting space telescope observing galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. On 28th April 2003, a Pegasus rocket launched the GALEX into orbit. Earlier, it was planned for 29-months only, however, the NASA Senior Review Panel in 2006 recommended that the mission lifetime can be extended.

The observations of the GALEX help scientists to know the basic structures of our Universe and how galaxies evolve over a period of time. Also, it is investigating the causes of star formation during a period when most of the stars and elements we see today came into being.