THESE are some of the stunning images of dazzling galaxies, spectacular nebulae and millions of shimmering stars that will feature in a new exhibition coming to Southampton later this month.

From Royal Museums Greenwich comes Visions of the Universe – an exhibition that shows how humans have captured images of the heavens over the centuries, from the earliest hand-drawings to photos taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and the latest footage from the Mars Curiosity Rover.

The exhibition, which will run at Southampton’s Sea City Museum from October 30 to February 21, draws together images of stars, planets and galaxies gathered from NASA, the Russian space programme, the European Southern Observatory and scores of the world’s greatest telescopes and space missions.

Humans have always been curious about the night sky but it was not until the early 1600s and the invention of the telescope that astronomers began to realise that there was more to those twinkling dots in the heavens than the met the eye.

The development of photography 250 years later gave them a new tool which could accurately record the light that passed through their telescopes.

Councillor Satvir Kaur, Southampton City Council cabinet member for communities, culture and leisure, said: “It will be great to provide residents and visitors with the opportunity to experience this journey of discovery through our solar system and beyond.

“The more we find out about the universe the more it seems there is to learn, and I truly hope Southampton families visit this exhibition of exploration.”

Visions of the Universe opens at SeaCity Museum on Friday, October 30 and will be on show until February 21, 2016.

Entry is included in the normal admission price: Adults £9.50, concessions £7 and families £29.50.

There is also an option for people wanting to visit the Pavilion alone with adult entry £5, concessions £3.50 and families £14.