... What did the first quasars look like? The nearest quasars are now known to be supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies. ... Dark Sky, Bright Sun . ... This colorful telescopic view towards the northern constellation Lyra reveals dim outer regions around M57, popularly known as the Ring Nebula. While modern astronomers still refer to M57 as a planetary nebula, at one light-year across M57 is not a planet but the gaseous shroud of a dying sun-like star. ... Mercury Transits the Sun . ...