So much of what we know about space is because of the images that we have been able to see thanks to the use of technology. But there isn’t a tool used to gather these images that is more popular than the Hubble Telescope. We have it to thank for images of stars, the moon, nebulas, and other planets in our solar system. Last month, Hubble celebrated its 32nd birthday. As a way to honor all of its achievements over the last three decades, we have put together a list of some of Hubble’s most famous images. Start scrolling and enjoy!
The Pillars of Creation
Hubble has blessed us with so many images of the cosmos, but there are not any more famous than this one. Titled “The Pillars of Creation”, the photo shows three different sized gas clouds against a background of stars. It’s an image that really makes you think about all that we do and do not know about outer space. It’s an incredible image, and one we should feel grateful for.
Most people will agree that outer space is amazing. And with images such as this one, how could you think of anything else? We hope that people don’t take these images for granted.
The Eagle Nebula
This photo once again shows the “Pillars of Creation”, but with a different size camera. In this view, you can see just how vast space is. There must be thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of stars just in this photo alone. We may never know all about outer space, and there is something beautiful about that fact. As long as we still get to see images of what’s out there, we’re happy.
Imagine being the first person to have captured this image. You would have probably thought you were losing your mind when you saw it. That must have been an insane feeling.
Abell 1689
The thought of other galaxies may scare some people, but we find it exciting. This photo is of Abell 1689. Scientists believe that it holds up to 500 trillion times the Sun’s mass and contains thousands of galaxies. The light you see in the photos is coming from distant galaxies. Who knows, there may be people out there just like us. It makes you wonder if they are looking for us as well.
It's a beautiful photo. It almost looks like a painting, but it’s the real deal. Just staring at the photo makes you feel so small. There is no way that we are alone.
NGC 1300
This is NGC 1300. If it looks familiar – maybe like photos of the Milky Way – that’s because the two galaxies are both barred spiral galaxies. These galaxies have arms that fan out from the center of them. It’s amazing the quality that Hubble can get for these images. This galaxy is so far away, but this image makes it look like it’s as close as the moon. Aren’t science and technology amazing?
NGC 1300 doesn’t sound nearly as cool as the Milky Way, but it is cool to see another galaxy that looks like the one we call home. We would love this as a poster.
The Cone Nebula
What you’re looking at may seem like a plume of smoke to you, but this is the Cone Nebula. It is pushing out gases because of radiation from the stars. This process is what makes the glowing red color that you see in the photo. Once again, it looks like a painting that you would see in a school, maybe even a library, but it’s as real as real gets. And it is gorgeous.
We won’t pretend to know everything about what is happening in some of these images, but we can say with absolute certainty that they are all awe-inspiring. We feel so lucky to see them.
The Horsehead Nebula
You may have to tilt your head a little bit to understand the name of this nebula, but it is called “The Horsehead Nebula”. The cloud is made of gas and dust. This one seems like something you would see in a dream. The stars that are caught in it give it its glow. When you realize that space is black, you begin to understand how incredible the Hubble Space Telescope is.
We can’t help but think about how peaceful this looks. It looks so soft and welcoming. It’s a shame that it’s freezing cold and so far. It looks like a good place for a nap.
V838 Monocerotis
What you see in this photo is one of the brightest stars in our galaxy. Its name is V838 Monocerotis. What you also see is an image of dust around the star being lit up as it flares. If you ever held or played with marbles, this looks like the inside of one. Maybe this is what they modeled them after. We’re going to going to have to buy some marbles to compare!
If other life does exist out there, then you have to wonder if they are as in awe of the universe as we are. Hopefully, they think the stars are as amazing as we do.
Omega Centauri
At first glance, this probably looks like some chip crumbs on a black carpet, but it’s a star cluster. And it’s not only a star cluster, it’s Omega Centauri, the largest star cluster in the Milky Way. It holds 10 million stars. 10 million is a large number, but just think, this is just in our galaxy. There are probably so many more stars out there. That’s an amazing thought.
We’re not sure how scientists came to the number 10 million, but we’re not going to question them. We’ll just sit here in shock at how big of a number that is.
Supernova Remnant N49
As beautiful as stars are when they gleam and shine in the night sky, their real beauty comes out when they die. This image is of a Supernova. Supernovas occur when stars get old and explode as they die. The Hubble telescope was able to get this clear image of a supernova taking place. It looks unlike anything else we’ve ever seen, and that’s why we can’t stop looking at it!
Supernovas are one of space’s most gorgeous phenomena. It’s sad that the stars explode at the end of their time but look what they leave behind! It is hard to be too sad about this.
The Carina Nebula
What looks like a big colorful cloud in the sky is a massive gas bubble full of ultraviolet radiation and strong winds. This is the Carina Nebula, and it is over 3 million years old. How awesome would it be to look up at the night sky and see this floating over your head? It would be worrying at first, but we’re sure that after a while it would feel magical.
There are reds and blues and greens in this photo, but they look nothing like what we’re used to. If you ask us, we feel that’s fitting for these otherworldly beauties.
The Cigar Galaxy
This slim and volatile galaxy is known as the Cigar Galaxy. The gas clouds inside of this galaxy collide and crash into one another, which results in the birth of new stars. It may be volatile looking, but the birth of new stars looks beautiful. We’re not sure where the name comes from, but it’s one of the cooler names we’ve seen so far. This isn’t a cigar we’re interested in smoking though!
Even in the photo, it looks like an explosion is happening. The red exiting the center looks like the result of something colliding! It’s the perfect mix of beauty and danger.
Arp 273
Two galaxies have collided in this photo. When they do that, the arms that spin out from the galaxies get pulled even further. Those flashes of blue that you see at the top of the screen are the stars forming because of the two galaxies interacting with one another. All the photos in this list truly are a feast for the eyes. We feel blessed to be able to see them.
We wouldn’t want to get caught between two galaxies interacting, but we are glad to see what those coming together result in. The stars forming look beautiful as they glow!
The Helix Nebula
This image makes you feel like everything in this galaxy is connected. There is no way you can look at this photo and not see a human eye! It’s not one; it’s the death of a star much like our sun. It is putting out its nuclear fuel as it starts to wane. But even as it dies, it is still so stunning. The blues and different oranges are very complimentary of one another.
We can’t see anything but a human eye, but that may just be us. It’s incredible how bright and colorful these dying stars are. We’ll never see it up close, but we’d love to!
The Spirograph Nebula
You are looking at another nebula, the Spirograph Nebula to be exact. What’s happening is that a star is shedding its layers and causing gas to fill the nebula. The white dot you see in the middle of the photo is a star that is giving energy to the Nebula’s gases and making the bright colors you see. It’s wild to think just how much is happening in space at all times!
The stars in space are busy! We look up, see them shine, and try to snap photos of them. Little do we know that they are going through all sorts of transformations up there!
The Eskimo Nebula
We’re not sure who has the final say on the names of the nebulas, but this one is good. This one is called the Eskimo Nebula because astronomers believed that the center of this nebula looked like a face, and the gas surrounding it looked like a parka. We’re not sure we see the same thing, but we do like the creativity. This nebula is a true work of art.
We’d love the chance to name a nebula or two. We think we’d be pretty good at it. We’re not sure we’d be too accurate, but we would give it our best.
The Retina Nebula
The different shapes and sizes that these nebulas can take are mind-blowing. We’ve seen a lot of them without any true form or shape, but this one looks the most controlled so far. This is the Retina Nebula. And this particular image has been color-coded to make the different gases more obvious. In the photo, hydrogen is green, oxygen is blue, and nitrogen is red. This photo once again shows how amazing Hubble is.
The nebula in this image seems to stick out more because of the lack of stars around it. It looks like it’s nearly all alone up there in the big black sky.
The Red Rectangle
We’ve seen a lot of cool photos on this list, but this one is on a different level. It’s called the Red Rectangle, and when you see the photo, it isn’t hard to understand why. There is a dying star at the center of this cool shape. It is on its way to becoming a nebula. And the shape that you see is caused by dust reflecting the star's light.
If we had had images like this one in science class, we probably would have paid more attention. This looks like something you would see in Star Wars or Star Trek!
The Blinking Planetary
This green monstrosity that looks like a kiwi cut in half is named the Blinking Planetary. Its name comes from the fact that the nebula seems to blink on when looking to the side of it. When viewed through a regular telescope, the nebula is too bright and nothing else can be seen. But with Hubble, you can see everything clearly. This image displays the strength and expertise of the Hubble telescope.
We’re not sure we’ve seen any photos with this shade of green. It has an ominous look to it, almost like it’s poisonous, but we would still hang a photo of it in our home.
The Cat’s Eye Nebula
Stars are no different than humans when it comes to aging. We both lose muscle and mass. The only difference is that we lose mass over decades, and these stars take thousands of years to lose their mass. That’s what’s happening here with the Cat’s Eye Nebula. Those clouds you see around the white dot in the middle took thousands of years to be forged. We don’t have nearly as much time to age!
If you can look at this and not feel anything, you aren’t alive. This image moves us in a way that’s hard to describe. It’s amazing to see these things we’ve only ever heard about.
The Ant Nebula
A look at this nebula and you can understand why it’s called the Ant Nebula. The colors make it feel like you are a kid again and looking through a kaleidoscope, but that’s just the beauty of outer space you see. Scientists are split on what causes the gap between the two sides. And since we aren’t scientists, we don’t have an answer either. But we do know that this is an amazing image.
The photo does look like an ant, but it also looks like a powerful explosion happening. We’re willing to bet this photo has been the inspiration for a few movie scenes in Hollywood.
Star Cluster NGC 602
This is the star cluster NGC 602. This cluster is full of stars that are burning and creating the gap in the cloud of gas that you see in the photo. What’s interesting about this particular photo is that the color you see is from three different sources. The purple you see comes from X-ray imaging, the red is from infrared, and the green, blue, and some of the red are from Hubble.
This one is very dreamy. You would think that after a while all of the photos would start to look the same, but they keep managing to change and amaze us.
The Veil Nebula
Here is a gorgeous Nebula named the Veil Nebula. The cool thing about this nebula is that it is close to 10,000 years old. What you see is just a small portion of a massive nebula. What’s even cooler is that people alive would have seen the explosion of the star that led to this nebula. We’re sure that would have been terrifying at the moment, but we would have loved to see it.
Once again, we aren’t scientists, so maybe there is something bad about watching stars explode, but to us, it sounds like a pretty badass time. We’d even get a chair to sit and watch it.
Arp 142
Though this photo looks sparse, there is a lot going on here. The galaxy at the bottom of the photo is unleashing tidal forces that are pulling on the blue cloud above, which initially was moving in a spiral. Just like in one of the earlier photos, the blue lights you see are the formation of new stars being born. Yet another image displaying the amazing nature of outer space.
This, too, looks like it would make a sick poster. We love how these Hubble images all look so peaceful and gorgeous, but there are so many insane things happening in them.
The Sombrero Galaxy
Once again, we get another great name for one of the galaxies featured in the images. This is the Sombrero galaxy. Looking at the photo you can see why it is named that. We would have personally named it the disk or Frisbee galaxy, but sombrero works. This disk is a massive 35 million light-years away from Earth. There is no way we would be seeing this sombrero without the help of Hubble.
We can’t stop thinking about all the clothing-themed galaxies that may be out there. There must be plenty more. Maybe there are a short, shoes, and pants galaxy out there as well.
Sharpless 2-106
What an amazing image! This one looks like a coming together of two powers. If you look closely enough, you can kind of see the shape of an hourglass between the two sides. And then just above, you have the bright star. This image just once again shows how amazing, and how far science has come. We have astronomers to thank for so much of what we know about the stars.
There isn’t an artist alive who would be able to create an image nearly as stunning as the one in this photo. Space is the greatest artist. We are lucky to see the pieces it creates.
The Antennae
This is a photo of a collision of two galaxies. Galaxies NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 are the two galaxies that are coming together. And once again, if you look closely enough you will see the bright flashes of blue light. That’s the telltale sign that new stars are being born. It’s amazing to be able to see something so spectacular. It feels like we’re seeing something that’s not meant for human eyes.
We love the colors and everything going on. The image has a way of showing you just how powerful these galaxies are. What an incredible privilege we have in seeing these images.
The Orion Nebula
There aren’t words to describe what seeing this image feels like. Luckily, there are words to describe what we are looking at. This is the Orion Nebula, and this mix of blues, pinks, reds, and yellows is a cloud made of gas and dust. As you can see, it is full of stars, most of which are still young. We could see this image being painted as a mural somewhere.
We’re willing to bet that if there is other life, then they are just as in awe as we are at these sorts of images. We hope they have a Hubble telescope of their own.
Jupiter and Europa
We don’t often get images of the other planets, but this is one of the giant Jupiter. It was taken in the summer of 2020. We are so used to seeing photos of Earth from space, that seeing this feels weird. We’re not even sure what to make of it. A lot of the images that Hubble takes of Jupiter are to help study the weather on the massive planet.
This is amazing. These colors and patterns kind of look like when you swirl different liquids together and they mix. Jupiter is gorgeous, but a bit scary because of its size.
Latest Saturn Portrait
Yet another image of a massive planet. This is the ringed giant Saturn. The photo was taken by Hubble when the planet made a close approach to Earth in 2019. We’ve always seen photos or drawings of the rings around Saturn, but to see them like this is a completely different level. It’s hard to believe that things such as this exist and that we are capable of capturing images of them.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if Earth had rings? It would be weird to see every day, but we’d get used to it. We love the Moon, but Earth needs something else in its orbit!
Saturn's Natural Colours
This is another photo of Saturn, but this time the photo is in its natural color. This is as close to an accurate depiction of what Saturn looks like that the scientists could make. It’s amazing how you can see the different colors in the clouds, and even the rings look different. What a gorgeous giant this planet is. It’s the second largest in our solar system, but #1 when it comes to looks.
This seems like a planet that is supposed to be in some sort of science fiction movie. We can imagine Martian space crafts landing on it and refueling for other journeys.
Galactic Wreckage
Stephan’s Quintet is the name of this photograph taken by Hubble. It takes its name from the fact that in the photo, 5 different galaxies are colliding. As a result, new stars are being born. It’s a gorgeous photograph. It seems odd that with space being as vast and open as it is, the galaxies crash into one another as often as they do. We aren’t complaining. The collisions make for great images.
Galaxies seem to be a lot like drivers here on Earth. The main difference is that their collision results in something beautiful. The same can’t be said for the crashes here on Earth.
Saturn and Its Rings in 2018
Seeing the rings from this angle not only shows just how big they are but also how intricate they are. There is so much design to them. The different shades of color, the different sizes, and how neat they are. It’s incredible what Hubble was able to capture in this image. Even the colors of the planet itself are clearer. It looks like it’s made of clay to us. What do you think?
We’re never going to get tired of seeing any of these photos. And while we love Earth, Saturn is slowly making its way up our list of favorite planets in our solar system.
Ring Nebula
This is Messier 57, also known as the Ring Nebula. The colors of this are so rich and deep. The blues and the oranges are incredible. And though it may look like it is circular in shape, NASA says that this nebula has a shape that resembles a misshapen donut. So, circular, but with a few kinks. No matter how it's shaped, it’s incredible to see with this sort of detail.
You have to imagine that whoever spotted this first through the telescope was probably left speechless. If it were us, we would have started crying at the first sight of this nebula.
Galaxy Playing Twister
This galaxy is very similar to our galaxy. It’s just that at the angle the photograph was taken, it is hard to see the spiral and the arms that are coming from it. Also, it’s a bit different due to its body. Unlike the Milky Way, this galaxy has a twist in it! This is just another example of the amazing variety of everything in space. It’s an incredible image to look at.
We’re not sure what’s caused the twist in this galaxy, but it’s a cool sight to see. We can’t help but wonder if the milky way started to twist, would we feel it?
Veil Nebula Revisited
This is Uranus. Not only are the icy blue color and the faint ring beautiful, but the white spot that looks like a cloud is an aurora. These are charged particles that are caught in magnetic fields on the planet itself. When they mix with gases, they burst alive with bright colors! We don’t see images of Uranus often, but it is obvious that it is just as spectacular as any other planet.
We wouldn’t want to spend too much time on Uranus since it is mostly ice, but that aurorae seem a lot like the Aurora Borealis here on Earth. We’d love to see either one!