National Aeronautics and Space Administrion

Since its inception in 1958, NASA has accomplished many great scientific and technological feats in air and space. NASA technology also has been adapted for many nonaerospace uses by the private sector. NASA remains a leading force in scientific research and in stimulating public interest in aerospace exploration, as well as science and technology in general. Perhaps more importantly, our exploration of space has taught us to view Earth, ourselves, and the universe in a new way. While the tremendous technical and scientific accomplishments of NASA demonstrate vividly that humans can achieve previously inconceivable feats, we also are humbled by the realization that Earth is just a tiny "blue marble" in the cosmos. Check out our "Thinking About NASA History" folder online as an introduction to how history can help you.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Twenty Years of Hubble

Twenty years after its April 24, 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope is an icon in space. Here are some of the most amazing views from the prolific space telescope. Hubble’s new Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) starts things off in this image of the planetary nebula, cataloged as NGC 6302, but more popularly called the Bug Nebula or the Butterfly Nebula. WFC3 was installed by NASA astronauts in May 2009, during the servicing mission to upgrade and repair the 19-year-old Hubble telescope. Click to enlarge.



Cosmic Dust Cloud
A recent NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope close-up image of part of NGC 7023, or the Iris Nebula, shows that the area is clogged with cosmic dust. This image was taken after the May 2009 shuttle mission to overhaul Hubble for the final time.




Beautiful Barred Spiral Galaxy
One of the largest Hubble Space Telescope images ever made of a complete galaxy was unveiled at the American Astronomical Society meeting in San Diego, Calif. The Hubble telescope captured a display of starlight, glowing gas, and silhouetted dark clouds of interstellar dust in this 4-foot-by-8-foot image of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1300. r Stellar Outburst



The Hubble Space Telescope’s latest image of the star V838 Monocerotis (V838 Mon) reveals dramatic changes in the illumination of surrounding dusty cloud structures. The effect, called a light echo, has been unveiling never-before-seen dust patterns ever since the star suddenly brightened for several weeks in early 2002.



Auroras on Saturn
The dancing light of the auroras on Saturn behaves in ways different from how scientists have thought possible for the last 25 years. New research by a team of astronomers led by John Clarke of Boston University has overturned theories about how Saturn’s magnetic field behaves and how its auroras are generated.

 
The Eagle Has Risen: Stellar Spire in the Eagle Nebula
NASA released this new image to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Hubble Telescope. Appearing like a winged fairy-tale creature poised on a pedestal, this object is actually a billowing tower of cold gas and dust rising from a stellar nursery called the Eagle Nebula. The soaring tower is 9.5 light-years or about 57 trillion miles high, about twice the distance from our Sun to the next nearest star
 
Boomerang Nebula
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope caught the Boomerang Nebula in images taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in early 2005. This reflecting cloud of dust and gas has two nearly symmetric lobes of matter that are being ejected from a central star. Each lobe of the nebula is nearly one light-year in length, making the total length of the nebula half as long as the distance from our Sun to our nearest neighbors- the Alpha Centauri stellar system, located roughly 4 light-years away. The Boomerang Nebula resides 5,000 light-years from Earth. Hubble’s sharp view is able to resolve patterns and ripples in the nebula very close to the central star that is not visible from the ground.
 
 
Eye of Wolf
The Retina Nebula of the Southern sky’s Lupus constellation peers at Hubble’s Wide Field Planetary Camera. All that remains of this dying star are dense columns of dust, and a striking iris of green (hydrogen), blue (oxygen), and red (nitrogen).
 
 
Crowning Moment
As if to don a crown of heavenly jewels, the Cone Nebula rises 7 light-years into the Monoceros constellation. The column is destined to evolve into countless stars, and perhaps even generate some planets.
 
more at
http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/igviewer.php?imgid=5406&gid=397
 
 
Yeremiah Hardt
Yeremiah@aol.com
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