10 of the Hubble Space Telescope’s greatest discoveries

The Hubble Space Telescope has been observing the Universe for 30 years. We look back at some of its most incredible discoveries.

Published: April 23, 2020 at 10:31 am

30 years ago, one of the most famous and awe-inspiring pieces of technology – The Hubble Space Telescope – was launched.

Hitching a ride with the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1990, Hubble was placed in low-Earth orbit, where it has been continuously observing the night sky ever since. Observations have been carried out across all wavelengths of light, from ultraviolet to infrared, which have given astronomers an unprecedented window on the Universe.

So what have they learned from its breath-taking pictures?

Science Focus

Hubble's greatest discoveries: the cause of gamma-ray bursts

4/23/2020
The Hubble Space Telescope saw the ‘smoking gun’ that revealed the secrets of these enormous cosmic explosions.
more
space
cosmology
hubble-space-telescope

Science Focus

Hubble's greatest discoveries: how planetary collisions work

4/23/2020
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9’s impact on Jupiter was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
more
space
comets
hubble-space-telescope
jupiter

Science Focus

Hubble's greatest discoveries: supermassive black holes

4/23/2020
Black holes are hard to find, but having the Hubble Space Telescope in your toolbelt makes things easier.
more
space
black-holes
cosmology
hubble-space-telescope

Science Focus

Hubble's greatest discoveries: protoplanetary discs

4/23/2020
Our understanding of protoplanetary discs, or proplyds, exploded with a breakthrough from the Hubble Space Telescope.
more
space
cosmology
hubble-space-telescope
planets

Science Focus

Hubble's greatest discoveries: the age of the Universe

4/23/2020
The Cepheid stars discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope has helped us pinpoint the age of the Universe.
more
space
cosmology
hubble-space-telescope

Science Focus

Hubble's greatest discoveries: exoplanet atmospheres

4/23/2020
The Hubble Space Telescope was first to detect the atmosphere of one of these alien worlds.
more
space
exoplanets
hubble-space-telescope

Science Focus

Hubble's greatest discoveries: generations of stars

4/23/2020
When the Hubble Space Telescope looked to the stars, it found much more than was expected.
more
space
hubble-space-telescope
stars

Science Focus

Hubble's greatest discoveries: dark matter

4/23/2020
Something is hiding in our Universe, and the Hubble Space Telescope could help us find it.
more
space
cosmology
hubble-space-telescope

Science Focus

Hubble's greatest discoveries: how galaxies evolve

4/23/2020
The Hubble Space Telescope was able to find 3,000 galaxies looking at an area of just one 24-millionth of the whole sky.
more
space
cosmology
galaxies
hubble-space-telescope

Science Focus

Hubble's greatest discoveries: accelerating expansion of the Universe

4/23/2020
Hubble Space Telescopes observations found that not only is the expansion of the Universe accelerating but is also being fuelled by ‘dark energy’.
more
space
cosmology
energy
hubble-space-telescope