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| - A photo allegedly showing the Helix Nebula and that was said to have been captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope was circulating online in late November 2024.
One X user, whose post had amassed more than 800,000 views as of this writing, shared the picture (archived) on Nov. 21 along with the caption: "The Helix Nebula captured by NASA'S Hubble space telescope."
(X user @Sciencewebsites)
One comment under the post read: "The creator is watching you. be nice."
However, some social media users suggested the image was generated using artificial intelligence software. For instance, one X user commented: "This is AI. Helix nebula looks nothing like this. Here it is with Hubble. spitzer, and my backyard scope."
(X user @AJamesMcCarthy)
TinEye and Google reverse image search results showed the purported photograph had spread on numerous social media platforms, such as Imgur, Threads, Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, Pinterest and Reddit.
Though the picture had appeared online as early as February and March 2024, its creator remains unknown. Reverse image search results indicated that the photo might have surfaced earlier; however, the related posts have been deleted.
In short, since the photograph does not depict the Helix Nebula, was not shared on NASA's official website and was digitally created, we have rated it as fake.
AI-detection tools, such as AI or Not, Is It AI? and TrueMedia.org concluded that the image was likely created using AI software. Another such tool, Hive Moderation, said there was a 99.4% chance the image was AI-generated.
(Hive Moderation)
The picture could not be found on any official NASA website, where the agency said, via email, that all official NASA images can be found. Additionally, it does not resemble authentic depictions of the Helix Nebula shared by NASA.
Snopes has reached out to NASA for further clarification and we will update this article if we receive a response.
For comparison, the picture below is an authentic composite photo of the Helix Nebula that is available on Getty Images.
(Getty Images)
Getty's description of the photo read: "This photograph of the coil-shaped Helix Nebula is one of the largest and most detailed celestial images ever made. The composite picture is a seamless blend of ultra-sharp images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope combined with the wide view of the Mosaic Camera on the National Science Foundation's 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Ariz."
We have investigated other space-related images in the past. For example, in May 2024, we examined a photo that allegedly depicted the dwarf planet Pluto. In August 2024, we looked into claims about a picture showing the "clearest image ever taken" of Venus.
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