As scientists and space enthusiasts around the globe commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope, the mission team has marked this significant milestone by unveiling a stunning collection of new images. Launched on April 24, 1990, aboard the space shuttle Discovery, the Hubble Space Telescope was engineered to observe the cosmos with unparalleled clarity. By orbiting outside of Earth’s atmosphere, it enabled astronomers to capture celestial wonders with ten times the detail of ground-based telescopes at the time.
Over three and a half decades, the Hubble Space Telescope has conducted nearly 1.7 million observations, contributing to more than 22,000 scientific papers. This remarkable instrument has amassed over 400 terabytes of archived data and continues to be in high demand among astronomers, with observing time oversubscribed by a factor of six. The legacy of Hubble serves as a crucial bridge between our past and future understanding of a universe that is both magnificent and tumultuous, as stated by officials from the European Space Agency (ESA), which collaborates with NASA to operate the telescope.
Before the advent of the Hubble Space Telescope, no previous generation had access to the remarkably vibrant views of space that it has provided, some reaching back almost to the dawn of time. The newly released images celebrate this 35-year journey, showcasing a variety of cosmic phenomena, from the seasonal changes on Mars to the intricate artistry of stars sculpting their environments.
Among the highlights of this release is a breathtaking view of Mars, revealing a frosty Red Planet draped in thin water-ice clouds that stand out vividly in ultraviolet light. Captured in December when Mars was approximately 60 million miles (98 million kilometers) from Earth, these images correspond with the arrival of spring in Mars' northern hemisphere. During the Martian winter, atmospheric carbon dioxide freezes, forming a thick ice layer on the northern polar cap, which then sublimates as temperatures rise in spring, leaving behind a smaller pocket of ice at the pole. The left image prominently features the expansive Tharsis plateau and its chain of dormant volcanoes, including Olympus Mons, towering above the Martian clouds.
The right view showcases high-altitude evening clouds along Mars' eastern limb and the iconic shark fin shape of Syrtis Major in the southern hemisphere, highlighting the dynamic features of our neighboring planet.
Another captivating image reveals NGC 2899, a moth-like planetary nebula located approximately 4,500 light-years away in the southern constellation of Vela. This glowing cloud, colored by hydrogen and oxygen, is sculpted by powerful winds and radiation from a hot, dying star at its center. Astronomers suspect that two companion stars may also contribute to shaping the gas within this nebula. The image captures two pinpoint-like white stars near the center, with a blue orb visible slightly below and to the right. Most of the gaseous pillars within the nebula point back toward these stars, illustrating the intricate dance of celestial forces at play.
The Hubble Space Telescope also provides a breathtaking close-up of a small but dynamic region within the Rosette Nebula, a stellar nursery located about 5,200 light-years from Earth. Silhouetted against the nebula's luminous backdrop are stark dark clouds made of hydrogen gas interwoven with dust. These clouds are not static; they are actively sculpted and eroded by the intense radiation from a cluster of large stars at the heart of the nebula, known as NGC 2244. A young star embedded within a prominent dark cloud is seen actively expelling powerful jets of superheated plasma, creating shock waves that heat the gas and cause it to glow in distinct red hues.
Lastly, the collection features an exquisite face-on image of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 5335, swirling approximately 225 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. This galaxy showcases a flocculent structure, characterized by patchy bursts of star formation scattered across its disk. Unlike many spiral galaxies, including our own Milky Way, NGC 5335 lacks well-defined arms. The fainter structures spiral counterclockwise from the galactic center, while a prominent bar of stars and gas cuts across the galaxy's bright center, funnelling material inward to fuel new star births. These galactic bars are temporary features that form and dissolve over billions of years, present in about 30% of galaxies.
As we celebrate the Hubble Space Telescope's incredible legacy, these images serve as a reminder of the wonders of the universe that await our exploration and understanding.
