The Cosmic Reef: A Guided Tour | Hubble

 The Cosmic Reef: A Guided Tour | Hubble

This image is one of the most photogenic examples of the many turbulent stellar nurseries the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope has observed. The portrait features the giant nebula NGC 2014 and its neighbor NGC 2020 which together form part of a vast star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, approximately 163,000 light-years away. The image is nicknamed the "Cosmic Reef," because NGC 2014 resembles part of a coral reef floating in a vast sea of stars. 

Hubble's senior project scientist, Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, takes us on a tour of this stunning image, describes the telescope's health, and summarizes some of Hubble's contributions to astronomy.

In April 2020, NASA celebrated the Hubble Space Telescope's 30 year anniversary of unlocking the beauty and mystery of space by unveiling this stunning new portrait of a firestorm of starbirth in a neighboring galaxy.

For more information about the Hubble Space Telescope and its images, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble

Video credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Paul R. Morris (USRA): Lead Producer

Jennifer Wiseman (NASA/GSFC): Narrator

Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Technical Support

Music credits:

“Perpetual Twilight” by Christophe La Pinta [SACEM], Koka Media [SACEM], Universal Publishing Production Music France [SACEM], and Universal Production Music.

Duration: 3 minutes, 30 seconds

Release Date: April 24, 2020

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