1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:08,000 On 24th of April 1990, Hubble was sent into orbit aboard the space shuttle Discovery, 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,000 the first space telescope of its kind. 3 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:15,000 Now it is celebrating its 26th anniversary! 4 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,000 As in previous years 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,000 Hubble has captured a dramatic new cosmic landscape to celebrate this event. 6 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,000 A new addition to its iconic collection of images of the Universe. 7 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:44,000 Hubble captures birthday bubble 8 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,000 In 2015, Hubble observed the dazzling star cluster Westerlund 2 9 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,000 to celebrate a quarter of a century in space. 10 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:59,000 An image which was unveiled in a simultaneous celebration 11 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,000 in science centres and museums across Europe. 12 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,000 This year, Hubble turned its eye towards another famous object: 13 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:17,000 NGC 7635, better known as the Bubble Nebula. 14 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,000 A complex and colourful cloud of gas 15 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,000 that lies 8000 light-years away. 16 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,000 Although it looks delicate, 17 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:36,000 the 10 light-year diameter bubble offers evidence of violent processes at work. 18 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,000 The bubble is created by an energetic flow of gas, 19 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:45,000 known as a stellar wind, which comes from the massive star within it. 20 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:52,000 This rare and brilliant star is several hundred thousand times more luminous than the Sun. 21 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,000 It is the pressure of the stellar wind 22 00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:00,000 that forces the material of the nearby interstellar cloud into this bubble-like form. 23 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:05,000 The radiation of the star also heats up the denser regions of the cloud, 24 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,000 causing them to glow. 25 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:16,000 But it is this cloud that can also one day put an end to the Bubble’s expansion. 26 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:23,000 For now, the constant pressure from the star is still overpowering the cloud’s resistance 27 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:30,000 and the sphere continues to grow at more than 100 000 kilometres per hour. 28 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,000 This is not Hubble’s first peek at the Bubble Nebula. 29 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:41,000 Over fifteen years ago Hubble was used to capture beautiful images of the nebula 30 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,000 that received worldwide attention. 31 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:51,000 This earlier data also allowed astronomers to study and understand the structure and motions 32 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:55,000 of the material within this system for the very first time. 33 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:05,000 Whilst important, the original images are far surpassed by this new birthday snap. 34 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:10,000 The new image not only shows the inner regions of the nebula in greater clarity, 35 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,000 but also captures the surroundings of the Bubble Nebula. 36 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:19,000 And it allows a stunning look at the much larger complex of stars and shells in this region. 37 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:29,000 This spectacular new image will not only be used to celebrate the 26th anniversary of Hubble, 38 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:36,000 but also as a backdrop for the upcoming Hubble exhibition “Our Place in Space”. 39 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:42,000 From early 2017 this exhibition will travel to cities across Europe 40 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,000 to bring Hubble to a space near you. 41 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,000 Transcripted by ESA/Hubble, Translated by ---