14 DAY TRIAL // In order to mark the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's upcoming anniversary, scientists have just released one of the largest mosaic images ever assembled from those snapped by the observatory.
For the outstanding event, Hubble looks right into the heart of the Tarantula Nebula, at a stellar nursery called 30 Doradus. This is a region of space where new, blue stars are produced at a frantic pace.
The phenomena have been imaged using the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC-3) and Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) instruments on Hubble. Data from the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope operated by the European Southern Observatory have also been included in the mosaic.
Next Tuesday will mark the 22nd anniversary of Hubble's launch, on April 24, 1990. The 11.1-ton telescope was deployed into orbit by the space shuttle Discovery, during the STS-31 mission.