OTHERWORDLY

Hubble Presents Breathtaking ‘Cosmic Reef’ Image on Telescope’s 30th Anniversary

The stunning image shows a giant red nebula and a smaller blue one forming a star.

It’s been exactly 30 years since the Hubble Space Telescope was launched into Earth’s orbit in 1990. To mark the telescope’s three decades in space, NASA has unveiled an amazing new image taken by Hubble of a “firestorm of starbirth” in a nearby galaxy. The image, nicknamed the “Cosmic Reef,” shows a giant red nebula and a smaller blue one that form a huge star-forming region. Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA headquarters, said: “It was revolutionary to launch such a large telescope 30 years ago, and this astronomy powerhouse is still delivering revolutionary science today. Its spectacular images have captured the imagination for decades, and will continue to inspire humanity for years to come.” In its 30 years, Hubble has provided 1.4 million observations.