Happy 15th, Hubble! Two Stunning New Pictures

www.space.com...

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken about 750,00 images in its 15 years in space. Celebrating the launch on April 24, 1990, Hubble officials released two more pretty pictures.

The images were to be released Monday, but they were provided in advance to the media and were posted to a British web site Friday afternoon. SPACE.com contacted the Space Telescope Science Institute, which operates Hubble, to verify that an embargo had been broken and that the images were now available for publication.

While Hubble's future is uncertain, its capabilities are unquestioned as the sharp-eyed observatory continues to produce stunning photographs of faraway places.

The new images are fresh views of two of the most famous objects previously photographed by Hubble.

happy b-day hubble!!!

i am glad that hubble WILL live too...

ENJOY!!!

Them new photos are amazing! Especially the Eagle Nebula, wow!

Meanwhile, with its batteries and gyroscopes wearing out, the telescope will likely stop taking pictures in 2007 or 2008.

It will be a terrible loss if this was to happen, hopefully they'll service it or start some serious planning for a replacement

Wierd thought that struck me...

It's way off topic, but the pics sparked the thought and I don't think it deserves it's own thread.

Assuming that the universe is infinite, and thus the number of stars are as well (or at the least there are so many of them that it aproaches infite in number) eventually, will night time no longer exist? I mean, as I understand it (admitedly in a VERY limited way) looking at stars is looking into the past because it takes time for the light to reach earth. Thus, far enough in the future could there be so many stars that our night time would turn into one bright light from so many stars?

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Hubble, Happy Birthday to you.

*punch*x15

I like the Eagle Nebula especially, it's a fantastic color.

Originally posted by American Mad Man
Assuming that the universe is infinite, and thus the number of stars are as well (or at the least there are so many of them that it aproaches infite in number) eventually, will night time no longer exist? I mean, as I understand it (admitedly in a VERY limited way) looking at stars is looking into the past because it takes time for the light to reach earth. Thus, far enough in the future could there be so many stars that our night time would turn into one bright light from so many stars?

You're not alone. Some guy thought of this a while back. Here's the problem: Stars die.

Every star you see will die at some point, and new ones will be formed. The sky isn't such that we will lose the night sky, don't worry about.

Those pics are so incredible it is hard to imagine they are real. Makes you wish we could be out there.

yeh it takes so good pics and i carnt believe nasa wont fix hubble

poor hubble....it's had a good life....done alot....taken alot of fantastic pictures!

sexygeek, ArchangelOfCool, check this bad boy out!

HUBBLE LIVES!

Originally posted by Amorymeltzer
sexygeek, ArchangelOfCool, check this bad boy out!

HUBBLE LIVES!

yes...

great news...

Originally posted by they see ALL
yes...

great news...

THAT'S A BIASED OPINION! DON'T LISTEN TO IT!!!

I didn't say this earlier Indy, but I meant to:

YES.