NASA Hubble Telescope completes 25 years in space

NASA – Hubble Telescope celebrates its 25 years in space on April 24, 2015. It was launched in 1990 on the same date and ever since then has provided iconic images from the space. NASA released a special image taken by Hubble one day before the anniversary of the launch of Hubble. The image shows brilliant stars breeding in stellar nurseries.

The stellar nursery in the image is almost 20,000 light years away from the Earth located in the Carina Constellation. The brilliant image posted by NASA is inspirational and provides an insight into the valuable contribution of Hubble since its inception in space. John Grunsfeld, the science mission chief of NASA has said that the light from these bright and young stars have traveled thousands of years to reach man. He says that this means that these stars planned the quarter completion celebration of Hubble very early.

Until now, Hubble Space Telescope has sent thousands of images that are beyond words and value. The treasure of these images is so iconic that it is as if Hubble has come up with its pictorial encyclopedia. Space Telescope Science Institute’s Kathy Flanagan has said that the images became a cultural icon with people using them on record albums, coffee cups and even for tattoos.

Iconic Hubble Space Telescope

Grunsfeld and the NASA administrator, Charles Bolden, who both were present when Hubble first flew in the space, attended the Washington ceremony organized to celebrate the 25 years of Hubble. One of the most successful and longest missions of NASA, Hubble has provided the astronomers proofs about black holes’ existence within the galaxies.

According to Jennifer Wiseman, the Senior Hubble Project Scientist, the collected data have enabled the astronomers evaluate the birth charts of stars, their evolution and also to understand the expansion of the universe. Hubble images have enabled the scientists to calculate the age of the universe at 13.8 billion years.

Although Hubble has undergone many repairs, the scientists expect it to keep on producing first class science for at least five years more.