The Hubble telescope has been aimed at a galaxy or planet or nebula 271,000 times in ten years. And time after time, the resulting pictures have been stunningly beautiful, including a dying star, the remnants of an exploded supernova and the planet Saturn. Hubble Telescope prepares for deeper space. The Hubble, in its 10 years, has helped determine the age of the universe, confirmed the existence of black holes and upset theories of how the galaxies formed. At the Control Center in Maryland, astronomers often release pictures to the public that are chosen less for their scientific importance than for their appeal to the eye.
Many people remember the telescope had to be rescued three times by shuttle astronauts.
Engineers then turn up the color to perfect the picture for our eyes. But if Hubble's pictures are as much about art as science, the two endeavors have more in common than people often think. Art and science have always shared the search for simplicity, for structure and for wonder. Several Hubble images show galaxies on the far edges of space. But in the end, it will be the pictures that are most readily remembered.