Another great photo. As a child, I always wanted to be an astronaut. Looks so peaceful up there. The Hubble has provided us with millions of photographs. It will be a real shame if it's destiny is to burn up in the atmosphere; especially after giving us such an extrodinary view of the galaxy and universe around us.

Jen

Whilst it would be very sad indeed to end its life span like that, new technologies are in progress that will carry on its great work. Experimental ground based telescopes are now being trialled that use flexible mirrors that can be bent and manipulated to cancel the effects of light distortion from the earths atmosphere offering much better clarity. In addition to these, several more powerful orbital telescopes are due to go into service, the first being Kepler. Due for launch in 2 years time it is designed to observe planetary systems beyond our own solar system. The following decade will see the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and the Terrestrial Planet Finder telescope arrays that will see multiple telescopes, both visible light and infra red, linked together to provide extreme magnification and detail.

A beautiful and stunning image. I am pleased to hear that further images will be possible in the future, even if not through the sad-fated Hubble telescope.

Another great piece of "clean-up" work from your library to my favorites Phil folder :). It is hard to grasp that all of this comes from space....it seems so big compared to my little mind :). I remember when my Mom was alive, she was quite the pessimist and always insisted that Neil Armstrong did not walk on the moon, that it was filmed in a secret room at a movie studio! I guess that is where some of my disbelief comes from although I do know that it happens (unlike Mom!) It is larger than life and something that I don't comprehend well and therefore I am fascinated my it, especially since I have been viewing all the images that you gather and clean up for all of us to enjoy.
I suspect that NASA has bigger and better plans for our future Space programs and that all we have to is trust. Well done on this Phil. It is so sharp and detailed and the clarity is outstanding.....thank you for broadening my mind and expanding my personal horizons!

It would be a shame to see the ol' girl go that way .. look .. you can just make out she's holding her hand to her ear in that "Call Me" pose

We've seen what Hubble could bring us just by getting past our own atmosphere. I'm a nostalgic person but I say let go and leap forward again. She is a beauty, I hate the thought of decay and burning out of existance