For the past 25 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has enhanced our understanding of the universe by taking us on a visual journey into the cosmos, farther than anyone ever imagined. Essentially a time machine for the imagination, Hubble has imaged objects almost 14 billion light years away. It sees the universe, not as it is now, but as it once was.

Early scientists realized Earth’s atmosphere, the thin layer of gases necessary for life, was also hard to see through. A decade before spaceflight was even possible, astrophysicists imagined that telescopes placed above the atmosphere would see more clearly and more deeply into space. This dream was realized when the Hubble Space Telescope was launched aboard the space shuttle Discovery in April 1990. NASA astronauts revisited Hubble five times between 1993 and 2009. On these missions, the astronauts repaired and upgraded Hubble, each time extending its life and enhancing its abilities to explore our universe.

Hubble has returned startling images and inspired many new areas of space research. Today, nearly 25 years after arriving in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope continues to amaze us as it looks into deep space and back in time.

The 25th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope is on April 24, and the Intrepid Museum is celebrating in several ways. The temporary exhibition HUBBLE@25 is currently on display in the Space Shuttle Pavilion. The exhibition has been extended and will now be open through January 10, 2016.

Special events are taking place at the Museum in the coming days. On Friday, April 24, the Museum will host Astronomy on Deck in partnership with Astronomy on Tap. Presentations about a wide range of space-related topics will take place beneath the space shuttle Enterprise in the Space Shuttle Pavilion and on the flight deck of Intrepid, beneath the stars. Astronomers will be on hand with their high-powered telescopes, ready to reveal the wonders of the New York sky. Beer and wine will be available to purchase. This event is free and for ages 21+ only. Registration required. Click here to register.

On Thursday, April 30, leading scientists will discuss Hubble’s most important scientific discoveries, including the breakthrough that earned the Nobel Prize. The panel will include Sara Seager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Adam G. Riess, Johns Hopkins University and Space Telescope Science Institute; Priyamvada Natarajan, Yale; and Matt Mountain, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. Joining them will be moderator Ira Flatow, host of Science Friday® on Public Radio International. Tickets for this event are on sale now.

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