This composite image shows the location of an accidentally-discovered dwarf galaxy, Bedin 1, lying behind the foreground globular cluster NGC 6752, which intercepts its line-of-site. The lower image of the complete cluster is a ground-based observation from the Digitized Sky Survey 2. The upper right image shows the full field of view of the Hubble Space Telescope. The upper left image highlights the region containing the galaxy Bedin 1, which makes number 4 on our 2019 list. (NASA, ESA, L. BEDIN (ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY OF PADUA, ITALY), AND DIGITIZED SKY SURVEY 2)

These Are The Top 10 Hubble Images Of 2019

Hubble has been operational for nearly 30 years, and still produces the most spectacular images of all. Here are this year’s best.

Hubble, astronomy’s revolutionary observatory, narrowly survived last year’s gyroscope failure.

The Hubble Space Telescope, as imaged during the last and final servicing mission. Although it hasn’t been serviced in over a decade, Hubble continues to be humanity’s flagship ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared telescope in space. (NASA)

After returning, it produced amazing science over this past year.

This small, irregular galaxy, NGC 4485, is imaged here after a recent interaction with a larger galaxy (NGC 4490), out of frame and now 24,000 light-years away from the one shown here. The pink and blue regions display a massive burst of star-formation, arising from the gravitational tug-of-war, while the normal structures at left have thus far remained intact. This galaxy is only an honorable mention this year; it couldn’t crack our list of Hubble’s top 10 for 2019. (NASA AND ESA; ACKNOWLEDGMENT: T. ROBERTS (DURHAM UNIVERSITY, UK), D. CALZETTI (UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS) AND THE LEGUS TEAM, R. TULLY (UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII), AND R. CHANDAR (UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO))

Here are Hubble’s top 12 images from 2019.

This Hubble Space Telescope image reveals the gradual self-destruction of an asteroid, whose ejected dusty material has formed two long, thin, comet-like tails. The longer tail stretches more than 500,000 miles (800,000 kilometers) and is roughly 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) wide. The shorter tail is about a quarter as long. The streamers will eventually disperse into space. (NASA, ESA, K. MEECH AND J. KLEYNA (UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII), AND O. HAINAUT (EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY))

10.) Asteroid (6478) Gault. This isn’t a dust-and-ion-tailed comet, but a twin dust-tailed asteroid, caught while partially disintegrating.

The graceful, winding arms of the majestic spiral galaxy NGC 3147 appear like a grand spiral staircase sweeping through space in this Hubble Space Telescope image. They are actually long lanes of young blue stars, pinkish nebulas, and dust in silhouette. The galactic disk is so deeply embedded in the black hole’s intense gravitational field that the light from the gas disk is modified, according to Einstein’s theories of relativity, giving astronomers a unique peek at the dynamic processes close to a black hole. (NASA, ESA, S. BIANCHI (UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI ROMA TRE UNIVERSITY), A. LAOR (TECHNION-ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY), AND M. CHIABERGE (ESA, STSCI, AND JHU))