When most people think about astronomy they almost immediately picture beautiful images of nebulae, galaxies and star clusters. The primary reason they are able to visualize these objects is because of the amazing work of the Hubble Space Telescope.

The detail with which we can appreciate the heavens has increased significantly in the last couple decades since the commissioning of that historic observatory.

Hubble is now entering the final stages of its operational life; there are no more repair missions, no more upgrades. Once this orbiting telescope fails, it is done forever.

Anticipating this, NASA has been hard at work to have a replacement ready. The James Webb Telescope was intended to pick up where Hubble left off, too peer deeper into the Universe, to see with greater detail what lay around us in this great expanse.

But such advanced technology comes at a price. A big price. Estimated to cost about $2.5 billion and be launched around 2013, the cost has ballooned to nearly $9 billion with a launch date likely in 2018.

And with a completion date so distant the cost could yet again rise. This begs the question, is it worth it?

I have to admit that I am conflicted on this one. Generally I am all for pure scientific research; it is in our nature as humans to seek to understand the Universe around us and to seek discovery, even when a practical application isn't readily obvious.

On the other hand this project was been plagued by mismanagement and waste. And I am certainly not in favor of rewarding such actions with additional funding, especially in this economic climate. Not to mention that the project trajectory is still uncertain and could, yet again, spiral out of control.

A quandary then. I am going to open this up to you all. Read here for more details on this topic and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Engineers working on the mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope; Credit: NASA

A strong solar storm (rated an S3, with S5 being the strongest) erupted on Sunday evening, launching intense radiation and charged particles toward Earth.

Late last night, the coronal mass ejecta interacted with Earth's magnetic field, creating brilliant auroras across northern Europe, and even parts of northern Michigan and Maine and on into Canada.

The above image was taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, which captured the initial solar event. You can see a short video of the eruption here.

NASA scientists have announced that this is the strongest solar storm since 2003.

More on This Event and Solar Eruptions

• Could a Massive Solar Flare Destry the Earth?
• The Solar Cycle and Solar Storms
• Predicting Solar Flare Activity
• What are Sunspots?
• Where Can I See an Aurora?

NASA's MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) Probe has settled into orbit around Mercury.

Some of the measurements that have been taken are already generating debate among planetary scientists (more on this later in the week). But the MESSENGER team has also been at work creating very cool animations about what it is like on the surface of the closest planet to the Sun.

This one in particular caught my eye (shout out to Dr. Jay Wile that brought it to my attention). It shows what a day on Mercury would be like.

Sound boring? Well consider the fact that a day on Mercury takes more than half a year on Mercury, so the way the Sun moves through the sky is, well, pretty cool. You can learn more about the MESSENGER experiment and check out other cool videos here.

Image Credit: NASA

I have to admit, I didn't see this one coming.

When New Scientist Magazine asked the famed physicist what he thinks about most his response was simple. "Women. They are a complete mystery."

While most of us aren't world renowned astrophysicists, credited with furthering our understanding of black holes and the Universe in general, it seems there is at least one trait that most of us share with the famed cosmologist.