This birthday wish isn't for Edwin Hubble, the astronomer famous for determining that what people then called faint nebulae were really other galaxies like our own Milky Way and the fact that the universe is expanding, but his namesake, the Hubble Space Telescope. Twenty years ago yesterday, on April 24th, 1990, NASA launched Hubble into space. Although there were issues with it as initially launched, thanks to numerous repair and servicing missions over the years it has gone on to truly become our eyes into the depths of the universe. It has been the foundation for a lot of great science as well as inspiration and awe.
Check out celebrations around the web:
NASA Flash Hubble Gallery
NASA Hubble Mission Site
Hubble Site
Amazing Space - Hubble for Students and Teachers
Also, a very cool citizen science site called Galaxy Zoo, where people like you and me get to help astronomers in their research on galaxies, is also celebrating Hubble's birthday.
The journey continues beyond 2009... check it out!
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