Thirty Years of Hubble

The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope but it is one of the largest and most versatile, well known both as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy. The Hubble telescope is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble and is one of NASA’s Great Observatories, along with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope.

Hubble features a 2.4-meter (7.9 ft) mirror, and its four main instruments observe in the ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Hubble’s orbit outside the distortion of Earth’s atmosphere allows it to capture extremely high-resolution images with substantially lower background light than ground-based telescopes. It has recorded some of the most detailed visible light images, allowing a deep view into space. Many Hubble observations have led to breakthroughs in astrophysics, such as determining the rate of expansion of the universe.

Enjoy Thirty of the Best Images Taken by Hubble Year by Year

Cosmic Reef (2020) Image Credit: NASA

Southern Crab Nebula (2019) Image Credit: NASA

Lagoon Nebula (2018) Image Credit: NASA

Galaxies NGC 4302 and NGC 4298 Image Credit: NASA

Bubble Nebula (2016) Image Credit: NASA

Westerlund 2 (2015) Image Credit: NASA

Monkey Head Nebula (2014) Image Credit: NASA

Horsehead Nebula in Infrared Light (2013) Image Credit: NASA

Star Factory 30 Doradus (2012) Image Credit: NASA

Colliding Galaxy Pair Arp 273 (2011) Image Credit: NASA

Mystic Mountain (2010) Image Credit: NASA

Interacting Galaxy Group Arp 194 (2009)) Image Credit: NASA

Interacting Galaxies (2008) Image Credit: NASA

Carina Nebula (2007) Image Credit: NASA

Galaxy M82 (2006) Image Credit: NASA

Whirlpool Galaxy (2005) Image Credit: NASA

Blue Stars Circle Nucleus of Galaxy AM 0644-741 (2004) Image Credit: NASA

Omega Nebula (2003)) Image Credit: NASA

Cone Nebula (2002) Image Credit: NASA

Horsehead Nebula (2000) Image Credit: NASA

NGC 6751 (2000) Image Credit: NASA

Jupiter and Its Moon Io (1999) Image Credit: NASA

Infrared Saturn (1998) Image Credit: NASA

M2-9 Twin Jet Nebula (1997) Image Credit: NASA

Galaxy Cluster 0024+1654 Gravitational Lens (1996) Image Credit: NASA

Eagle Nebula Pillars (1995) Image Credit: NASA

Core of Galaxy M100 (1994) Image Credit: NASA

Cygnus Loop (1993) Image Credit: NASA

The Hub of Galaxy NGC 4261 (1992) Image Credit: NASA

Jupiter (1991) Image Credit: NASA

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