Hubble At Twenty

The Hubble Space Telescope has now been in orbit for twenty years. Those two decades could reasonably be dubbed "The Age of Hubble," certainly in astronomy, and even in popular science more broadly. The stunniing beauty of Hubble's detailed views of the cosmos have transcended astronomy and made the telescope a cultural icon.

Hubble's mission got off to a rocky start, however. It was launched with a faulty mirror that threatened to severely limit the telescope's effectiveness. Such a huge mistake on such an important project, especially soon after the Challenger disaster, called into question the very competence of NASA to do big things. The dramatic repair mission mounted by NASA to fix the mirror was likely the most important mission since Apollo 11, and its success completely turned around the space agency's image.

Hubble has revolutionized our understanding of the universe. Its deep space views-- which equate to views of the early history of the universe-- have shown the universe to be vastly bigger than many thought pre-Hubble. They have also helped us fix the age of the universe we know at right around thirteen billion years. It has given scientists and the public spectacular views of star nurseries, galactic structures, and the area around black holes. The Hubble Space Telescope ranks with the greatest creations of humankind.