Hubble’s 33rd Year in Orbit - On April 24th, 2023, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope celebrates its 33rd anniversary in orbit with the photo of NGC 1333.

To mark the occasion, astronomers premiered an ethereal photo of a nearby star-forming region, NGC 1333.  The nebula is in the Perseus molecular cloud and located approximately 960 light-years away.

This view provides an illustration of what our Solar System (Sun and planets) may have looked like when it formed inside a dusty molecular cloud 4.6 billion years ago.

Our Sun did not form in isolation; rather, it was embedded inside a mosh pit of frantic stellar birth that was maybe even more massive and energetic than NGC 1333.

After 33 years, Hubble still continues to provide awe-inspiring views of the cosmos.  Here are some of Hubble's achievements during his 33rd year in orbit --->

1. Within our solar system --->

Hubble noticed Saturn's rings acting strangely. Strange spokes appear across Saturn's rings during Saturn's autumnal and vernal equinoxes.

While their origin and seasonal nature are still unknown, experts believe they are caused by the planet's magnetic field.

Hubble glimpsed the successful results of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). 

DART was a test of asteroid deflection designed to alter the speed and path of an asteroid by impacting it. This is a key test of NASA's planetary defense strategy.

2. Beyond Our Solar System --->

Hubble determined the mass of an isolated black hole roaming our Milky Way Galaxy and caught a dead star ripping up an entire planetary system.

3. Beyond Our Galaxy --->

Hubble found young stars spiraling into the center of a huge, oddly shaped stellar nursery called NGC 346 providing insight into a possible baby boom of star birth in the early universe.

Hubble watched a hungry black hole twist a captured star into a donut shape.

Additionally, it found 3 supermassive black holes orbiting each other, throwing one out of its galaxy. This ejected black hole plowed through dust and gas kick-starting new star formation as it drifted away.

After 33 years, Hubble keeps expanding our knowledge of the cosmos and awe of its workings.