20 Years in 20 Images

Hubble captures a view of a 'Mystic Mountain' within the Carina Nebula.

Hubble press release:

Starry-Eyed Hubble Celebrates 20 Years of Awe and Discovery

Notes

For those who care to count, you will notice that there are more than twenty images used in this show. Toward the total of 20, I am not including any pictures of the launch or servicing missions. I also do not include the technology demonstration images of the double star (1990) or of galaxy Messier 100 (1994). My twenty only includes the press release images of astronomical objects, a few of which are mulitple images in themselves (e.g., Jupiter's red spots (2008)). Considering the wealth of Hubble imagery from which to choose, you really can't blame me for pushing the limits.


I originally chose this set of images for the "Google Doodle" - the logo change on the Google search page for Hubble's 20th anniversary. In association with the logo change, one can explore a similar set of images in the Google Earth program. The set used by Google is slightly different, as planets were removed and other images substituted to work better with their software.


Note that I found an error in the date for the image of the cluster of galaxies named Abell 2218. The image I used was first released in January 2000 as part of the re-start of Hubble observations after Servicing Mission 3A. When I went looking for Abell 2218 in the archive, I found it as part of the October 2001 press release which announced the discovery of a distant galaxy that was made possible by the gravitational lensing of the cluster. I should have used the 2000 date for this image. Just to be complete, note that we released a black and white view of Abell 2218 in April 1995.


Do you have a favorite Hubble image that ws left out here? Would you like to provide your own 20th anniversary memories for Hubble? If so, the public is invited to send Messages to Hubble that will be stored in our permanent archive. You can send messages via email, Facebook, or Twitter. Help us capture the societal impact of Hubble's first twenty years by adding your views to our data collection.

Image Notes

Launch of STS-31, 1990
Credit: NASA

Deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope from STS-31
Credit: NASA/Smithsonian Institution/Lockheed Corporation

Ground and Hubble (with flaw) comparison images of a double star
Hubble Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and STScI
Ground Image: E. Persson (Las Campanas Observatory, Chile)/Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington

Core of giant elliptical galaxy Messier 87
Credit: Tod R. Lauer, Sandra M. Faber/NASA

Removal of WFPC1 during STS-61, 1993
Credit: NASA

Central region of galaxy Messier 100 from WFPC1 & WFPC2
Credit: NASA/STScI

Jupiter with SL9 impacts - visible light
Credit: HST Comet team and NASA Hubble Space Telecope Comet Team. oa'd NASA

Jupiter with SL9 impacts - ultraviolet light
Credit: Hubble Space Telescope Comet Team

Pillars in the Eagle Nebula
Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, J. Hester and P. Scowen (Arizona State University)

Eta Carinae
Credit: Jon Morse (University of Colorado), and NASA

Astronauts and Hubble During STS-82, 1997
Credit: NASA

Saturn with Aurora in Ultraviolet Light
Credit: J.T. Trauger (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and NASA

Globular Star Cluster Messier 80
Credit: The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA)

Ring Nebula
Credit: The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA)

Astronauts & Hubble During STS-103, 1999
Credit: NASA

Galaxy Cluster Abell 2218
Credit: NASA, Andrew Fruchter and the ERO Team (STScI)

Mars in June 2001
Credit: NASA, James Bell (Cornell Univ.), Michael Wolff (Space Science Inst.), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Mars in September 2001
Credit: NASA, James Bell (Cornell Univ.), Michael Wolff (Space Science Inst.), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Astronauts During a Spacewalk on STS-109, 2002
Credit: NASA

Interacting Galaxies "The Mice"
Credit: NASA, H. Ford (JHU), G. Illingworth (UCSC/LO), M.Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), the ACS Science Team, and ESA

Sombrero Galaxy
Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Hubble Ultra Deep Field
Credit: NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI) and the HUDF Team

Whirlpool Galaxy
Credit: NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Crab Nebula
Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Hester and A. Loll (Arizona State University)

Orion Nebula
Credit: NASA,ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team

Star Cluster NGC 602
Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) - ESA/Hubble Collaboration

Jupiter with Three Red Spots, May 15, 2008
Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Simon-Miller (Goddard Space Flight Center)

Jupiter with Three Red Spots, June 28, 2008
Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Simon-Miller (Goddard Space Flight Center)

Jupiter with Three Red Spots, July 8, 2008
Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Simon-Miller (Goddard Space Flight Center)

Astronaut Drew Feustal During STS-125, 2009
Credit: NASA

Planetary Nebula NGC 6302
Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team

Globular Cluster Omega Centauri in Ultraviolet and Infrared Light
Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team

Pillars in the Carina Nebula
Credit: NASA, ESA, and M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)

3D Flight into the Pillars in the Carina Nebula
Credit: NASA, G. Bacon, L. Frattare, Z. Levay, and F. Summers (STScI/AURA)

Hubble After STS-125
Credit: NASA