Before-and-after images of the spiral galaxy M100 were used in early 1994 to prove the Hubble Space Telescope’s flawed optics had been successfully repaired. More recent views with more powerful instruments show how Hubble has improved with age.
Amid flame and smoke, the Hubble Space Telescope blasted off the launch pad aboard the space shuttle Discovery 30 years ago today, ushering in a new era for astronomy that has transformed our understanding of the Universe around us.