Hubble captures a ‘Cosmic Reef’ in stunning 30th anniversary image
Thirty years ago Hubble launched into space on a mission to open humanity’s eyes to the wonders of the cosmos. With a captivating new photo, the “Cosmic Reef,” NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope showcases the instruments’ incredible capabilities on its 30th anniversary.
In this new Hubble image, the telescope captured two neighbouring clouds of cosmic dust and gas: the giant red nebula NGC 2014 and a smaller blue nebula nearby called NGC 2020.
Hubble scientists named the image “Cosmic Reef,” because the sparkling, brilliant structures resemble a cosmic coral reef glistening in some secret corner of a deep ocean.