HST’s Greatest Hits 1990-1995

Supernova 1987A: Halo for a Vanished Star

An eerie, nearly mirror-image pair of red luminescent gas "hula-hoops" frame the expanding debris of a star seen as a supernova explosion in 1987. (Image Released: April 1994)

The Orion Nebula: Stellar Birthplace

An immense wall of glowing gasses forms a colorful backdrop to dozens of newborn stars, many of which have dust disks - as revealed by Hubble - that might be embryonic solar systems. (Image Released: January 1994)

The Cartwheel Galaxy: Result of a Bull's-Eye Collision

A spectacular head-on collision between a spiral galaxy and a smaller intruder sends out a ripple of energy that triggers a firestorm of new starbirth, forming a dazzling ring-like structure. (Image Released: January 1995)

Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 Bombards Jupiter

Hubble followed unexpected and dramatic changes in Jupiter's atmosphere caused by collisions with comet fragments. The titanic blasts left Jupiter with a temporarily ``bruised'' appearance, caused by black debris that was tossed high above the giant planet's cloudtops. (Image...

Images of Spiral Galaxy M100 Before and After Hubble's First Servicing Mission

A majestic pinwheel formed by hundreds of billions of stars harbors rare pulsating stars that can yield clues to the size and age of the universe. The galaxy is so far away, Hubble sees it as it appeared at about the time dinosaurs roamed the Earth. (Image Released: January 1994)

An Earth-Sized Storm on Saturn

A rare storm, large enough to swallow Earth, appears near Saturn's equator. High altitude winds give the storm a distinctive arrowhead shape. (Image Released: December 1994)

Ring Around a Suspected Black Hole in Galaxy NGC 4261

The gravitational pull of a suspected super-massive black hole forms a frisbee-like disk of cool gas, at the core of an energetic galaxy. Subsequent Hubble observations of yet another active galaxy (M87) confirmed the reality of monstrous black holes - gravitational "sink holes"...

Planetary Nebula NGC 6543: Gaseous Cocoon Around a Dying Star

Mysterious stellar fireworks create expanding gas shells and blowtorch-like jets which form a spectacularly intricate and symmetrical structure. The nebula is a fossil record of the late stages of the star's evolution. (Image Released: January 1995)

Cygnus Loop: Blast Wave from a Stellar Time-Bomb

High speed gas from a supernova explosion slams into dark cooler clouds of interstellar material. Shocked and heated by this tidal wave of energy, the clouds glow in bright, neon-like colors. (Image Released: February 1995)

Wispy Clouds, A Melting Ice Cap, and Dust-Storm-Free Surface on Mars

Wispy clouds, a melting polar ice cap, and a dust-storm free surface all indicate a cool, clear springtime in the Martian northern hemisphere. Hubble is serving as a weather satellite for studying the climate on other planets. (Image Released: February 1995)