The Hubble Telescope turns 30 on Friday, marking three decades of space exploration and scientific discoveries. To celebrate, NASA has collected some of the most iconic, stunning images the bus-sized instrument has taken across its lengthy career.
The Hubble Telescope was launched from the John F. Kennedy Space Center in 1990, releasing its first image less than a month later. Though relatively unimpressive by today’s standards, the monochrome picture of star cluster NGC 3532 was a leap in image resolution when compared to ground-based observations at the time.
Astronauts have upgraded the Hubble Telescope five times since then, and its photography skills have significantly improved. Capable of detecting ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light, the Hubble Telescope has made over 1.3 million observations and contributed data to over 17,000 scientific papers. Scientists have used its data to map dark matter, observe black holes, and even prepare the New Horizons spacecraft for its 2015 flyby of Pluto.
The Hubble Telescope’s successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, may be scheduled for launch in March 2021, but Hubble isn’t quite done yet. The invaluable astronomical research tool will continue to operate until at least June 2021 — and hopefully beyond.
Taken in 2014, this image shows the Eagle Nebula’s famous Pillars of Creation 6,500 light-years from Earth.
Image: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team
Newborn stars in the center of the Monkey Head Nebula push away dust clouds in this 2014 image.
Image: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team
The hexagon at Saturn’s north pole is clearly visible in this image taken in 2019.
Image: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (GSFC) and the OPAL Team
Young star cluster Westerlund 2 is only around 2 million years old and contains approximately 3,000 stars. This image taken across multiple exposures from 2013-14.
Image: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), A. Nota (ESA/STScI), and the Westerlund 2 Science Team
Spiral galaxy M51 (NGC 5194), aka the Whirlpool Galaxy, is accompanied in this 2005 image by small galaxy NGC 5195.
Image: NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI), and The Hubble Heritage Team
This 2018 image of the Lagoon Nebula shows newborn giant star Herschel 36 pushing away dust.
Image: NASA, ESA, and STScI
This image taken in 2004 shows star V838 Monocerotis illuminating surrounding dust in the Monoceros constellation, 20,000 light-years from Earth.
Image: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team
This Hubble Space Telescope view of Jupiter, taken on June 27, 2019, reveals the giant planet’s trademark Great Red Spot. Hubble’s yearly monitoring of Jupiter helps researchers learn more about this gas giant.
Image: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley)
Taken across 2004-05, this image shows the two spiral Antennae galaxies merging.
Image: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration;
Acknowledgment: B. Whitmore (Space Telescope Science Institute
The Cat’s Eye Nebula, formally known as NGC 6543, can be seen in all its glory in this 2004 image.
Image: NASA, ESA, HEIC, and The Hubble Heritage Team
