Hubble’s Universe

Hitching a ride into orbit with the space shuttle Discovery in April 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has taken incredibly clear and detailed images for almost twenty years. After some initial forestalling of the launch and eventual problems with one its mirrors, the Telescope has proven to be an invaluable aid for astronomers and is scheduled to be replaced in 2013 by the brand spanking new James Webb Space Telescope - named after James E. Webb, the second administrator of NASA.

Here are a few of Hubble’s greatest moments.


“Cat’s Eye” Nebula – three thousand light-years from Earth and over half a light-year across.


The Orion Nebula – only 1,500 light-years from Earth in an area where stars are formed.


“The Sombrero Galaxy”, named for obvious reasons.


V838 Mon – this image is often referred to as “Starry Night”.


“Cone” Nebula, within a star-forming region.


The “Eskimo” Nebula – some say this resembles a person’s head inside the hood of a parka, but it looks more like an iris to me.


NGC 2818 – this is what a dying star looks like.


by Max Drake
(Freelance writer and artist for GritFX.)

(Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk)