FlashFeed

Full text

quick facts

What it is: A collection of "red, white and blue" images to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States.

Where it is: Between 11,000 light-years and 19 million light-years from Earth

When it was shared: June 30, 2026.

NASA has marked the 250th birthday of the U.S. with a striking new collection of cosmic images from its Chandra X-ray Observatory, presenting four deep-space objects in red, white and blue.

The image set combines X-ray data from Chandra — which has been orbiting Earth since 1999 — with observations from NASA’s Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes (JWST), as well as multiple ground-based observatories. Together, the images showcase some of the universe’s most dramatic environments, from the remains of an exploded star to a massive galaxy cluster shaped by dark matter — each rendered in patriotic colors.

Arguably the image most reminiscent of Fourth of July fireworks is that of Cassiopeia A , a famous supernova remnant about 11,000 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia (top left). Chandra’s X-ray data, shown in blue and purple, reveal the blast wave from a massive stellar explosion and trace elements such as iron, calcium and oxygen. Meanwhile, infrared data from JWST has been overlaid in red and white, highlighting the expanding shell of debris and cosmic dust. It’s all the result of a massive star that exploded about 340 years ago, according to NASA .

On the top-right is NGC 3603, a giant nebula 20,000 light-years away in the Carina spiral arm of the Milky Way . Here it appears as a glowing field of highly active, newly formed stars. Chandra’s X-ray observations reveal the light coming from the nebula, while Hubble data in optical, infrared and ultraviolet light show its glittering array of stars, as well as dust and gas. NGC 3603 is the largest nebula seen in visible light in our galaxy.

NGC 4736, also known as M94, is something else entirely. Pictured bottom-right, it’s a spiral galaxy about 19 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Canes Venatici. Its famed for the faint arms outside of its oval-shaped core region — known as a "starburst ring," where new stars are forming. It’s shown here with Chandra’s X-ray data layered with visible-light imagery captured by ground-based astrophotographers.

The final image features ZwCl 0024+1652 (bottom-left), a distant galaxy cluster where Hubble data has helped astronomers infer the presence of dark matter . About five billion light-years away in the constellation Pisces, Chandra’s X-rays reveal a vast reservoir of superheated gas in ZwCl 0024+1652 — shown in red — that contains more mass than the cluster’s galaxies combined.

The release of the new photos also includes novel sonifications for NGC 3603, NGC 4736 and ZwCl 0024+1652, transforming astronomical data into sound. The project allows audiences to experience space through both sight and hearing.

See more space photos of the week:

'Human minds should not go through this'

The Artemis II crew recalls the unreal moment when Earth disappeared

Hidden structure in 1st Vera Rubin image

First-light images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory reveal a 163,000-light-year stream of stars emanating from a nearby galaxy.

JWST peeps the 'Eye of God'

A spectacular James Webb telescope image reveals intricate structures inside the Helix Nebula.

Full text

Among the many disappointments in the final season of HBO’s Euphoria was that the show, which had previously prided itself on having a realistic depiction of high school, transformed into a crime drama with no aspects of believability . It was disappointing to see the series devolve in such a regressive way, but HBO has already delivered a more insightful and moving coming-of-age drama series with We Are Who We Are , created by the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Luca Guadagnino . Set on an American military base in Italy during 2016, We Are Who We Are is an earnest exploration of how confusing it can be to grow up, particularly during a climactic political moment. Unlike Euphoria ’s artificial inclusion of melodrama and nastiness, We Are Who We Are offers something truthful while still being ambiguous about what young people are capable of.

Full text

My digital restomod updates the V6-powered Alfa Romeo GT coupe.

The build proposes an array of exterior, interior, and chassis upgrades.

Real-world feedback from Alfisti split opinions on the round lights.

The Alfa Romeo GT, built from 2003 to 2010 as the coupe relative of the 147 hatchback and 156 sedan , was the final Alfa penned by Bertone and the last to carry the Busso V6. Prices have fallen far enough on the used market that I started wondering whether one could be reborn as something more exotic, a coachbuilt special with real presence.

var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};

adpushup.que.push(function() {

if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){

adpushup.triggerAd("0f7e3106-c4d6-4db4-8135-c508879a76f8");

} else {

adpushup.triggerAd("82503191-e1d1-435a-874f-9c78a2a54a2f");

}

});

The plan was to work classic Alfa Romeo DNA into the elegant shape of the donor and build something that could hold its own on the lawn at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Early public reaction tells me the treatment on this particular car might be polarizing.

More: Alfa Romeo Promised An Electric Future, Now Old V6 Is Back

The highlight of the conversion is the reworked front end, with round headlights and intakes drawing inspiration from the classic Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT and 1750 GT Veloce from the ’60s and the ’70s. The redesign requires a new bumper, a larger scudetto grille, custom LEDs, and a fresh hood with aggressive lines slightly reminiscent of the Brera and the 159.

var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};

adpushup.que.push(function() {

if (adpushup.config.platform === "DESKTOP"){

adpushup.triggerAd("ea4d4b5a-f8e5-4d5d-9d9a-53a3b956b6cd");

} else{

adpushup.triggerAd("44c0a4dc-e25b-4ba5-ac64-2c510461b92a");

}

});

Everything in profile stays honest to the original. Greenhouse, roof structure, pillars, mirrors, and doors all carry over untouched. What changed sits lower and wider, with broader front and rear fenders, bigger alloys, and brakes lifted from the Intensa and Quadrifoglio versions of the Giulia sedan, plus a drop in ride height that gives it a stance the factory never allowed itself.

More: Alfa Just Facelifted The Tonale. Now It Could Kill It

Out back the car wears a sculpted Giulia GTAm-style bumper with a carbon fiber diffuser and quad tailpipes, along with modern LED graphics reworking the Bertone taillights. No spoiler, because the GT never needed one. That signature rear glass and the clean surfacing across the hatch do the heavy lifting on their own, and adding a wing would have been an insult to the man who drew it.

I didn’t get a chance to work on the interior, though such a build would need a re-upholstered cabin using high quality materials like wood, aluminum, and leather. The conversion would preferably maintain an analogue character, although a discreet aftermarket infotainment solution could be added into the mix.

var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};

adpushup.que.push(function() {

if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){

adpushup.triggerAd("bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c");

} else {

adpushup.triggerAd("9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751");

}

});

Proposed Mechanical Upgrades

Under the hood of the GT restomod remains the iconic naturally-aspirated 3.2-liter Busso V6 . Stock, the engine made 237 hp (177 kW / 240 PS), and it clears 300 hp without much drama once you start throwing aftermarket tuning at it. A proper build might rebore the block with forged pistons, stretch displacement to 3.7 liters, swap in wilder camshafts, and add Ferrari-derived throttle bodies. A supercharger would be one step past sensible, so we leave it alone.

More: Alfa Romeo Is Bringing Back The Hatchback That Saved It Once Before

The V6 GT shares its six-speed manual and front-wheel-drive layout with the 147 GTA and 156 GTA, which means the dynamics have room to grow. A limited-slip differential would earn its keep, alongside coilovers, wider tracks, and those larger brakes. The exhaust note already borders on glorious, and a custom system would push it somewhere better still.

var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};

adpushup.que.push(function() {

if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){

adpushup.triggerAd("b25ecba7-3bbb-4ea7-a3a8-dbea91695c07");

} else {

adpushup.triggerAd("e46c436a-adeb-4b5e-a2c7-56bc36561c10");

}

});

The Purist Debate: Real-World Feedback

To pressure-test the design, I passed it to a handful of trusted industry colleagues and put it in front of committed Alfisti at the Museo Alfa Romeo during the brand’s birthday celebrations on June 21st. The reaction confirmed what I suspected about the risk of redrawing an Alfa that originally wore Bertone’s signature.

More: This Italian Sports Car Brings A Famous 1960s Concept With Pop-Up Headlights Back to Life

Most of the critics could not make peace with the round headlights on this silhouette. A few argued for slimmer units in the spirit of the Pininfarina 2uettottanta roadster from 2010 , which would echo the horizontal run of the slim taillights and calm the front down considerably.

Still, out of the 30 Alfa Romeo owners I surveyed at the event, a clear majority of 25 praised the project, voicing real appreciation for the clever historical nods to Alfa’s past. The remaining five purists preferred the lines of the original GT, rejecting the face swap .

Would It Make Sense?

Bringing a project like this from the digital concept stage into production doesn’t come without challenges. The total cost for a conversion of this scale for the exterior, interior and underpinnings could easily exceed the €50,000 ($55,000) mark, without factoring in the price of the donor car.

More: I Finally Made Kia’s Tasman Stop Looking Like Sid From Ice Age

This estimate introduces a paradox. Because the 147-based Alfa Romeo GT is so cheap to buy nowadays, even if you spring for the top-tier Busso V6, it is hard to justify spending several times the car’s market value on modifications. Even so, it could still make sense as a highly exclusive, limited-production model aimed at collectors.

After all, somewhere among the 80,832 people who bought an Alfa Romeo GT, a few are surely unhinged enough to sign up for a one-off. For anyone doing that math already, I have started talking to companies that could turn these renderings into an actual car.

So where do you land on this retro-modern take on the Italian coupe? Do the classic cues lift the GT, or should Bertone’s original lines stay exactly as they are? Tell me what you think, and if this kind of thing is your poison, follow my automotive design studio CarVibe . I promise the next one splits the room even harder.

Illustrations: Thanos Pappas / CarVibe