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On April 24, 1990, all 24,000 pounds of the Hubble Space Telescope were tucked away inside the Discovery space shuttle when it launched into space. Thirty-five years later, NASA says Hubble has proven to have “opened a new window to the universe,” with more than 1.6 million observations to date filled with compelling and surprising images of galaxies, planets and our own solar system.
To celebrate the anniversary milestone, NASA has released stunning photos taken by the telescope in its decades among the stars.
Among them is an image of Mars, taken 61 million miles from Earth.
“Thin water-ice clouds, revealed by Hubble’s unique ultraviolet capability, give the Red Planet a frosty appearance,” Hubble said along with the photo on social media.
In a news release commemorating Hubble’s decades around the sun, NASA said the telescope “is a glowing success story of America’s technological prowess, unyielding scientific curiosity, and a reiteration of our nation’s pioneering spirit.”
“Its stunning imagery inspired people across the globe, and the data behind those images revealed surprises about everything from early galaxies to planets in our own solar system,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The fact that it is still operating today is a testament to the value of our flagship observatories, and provides critical lessons for the Habitable Worlds Observatory, which we plan to be serviceable in the spirit of Hubble.”
Another image captured by Hubble shows the nebula NGC 2899, which NASA’s Hubble account on X described as being “sculpted by the outflow of radiation and stellar winds from a 40,000-degree-Fahrenheit dying star at its center.”
