NASA releases spectacular new Hubble photos

To celebrate Hubble's 15th anniversary NASA unveiled two of the largest and sharpest images the Hubble has ever taken. During its 15 years in service the Hubble Space Telescope took more than 700,000 photos of the universe.

For the 15th anniversary, scientists used the ACS to record a new region of the eerie-looking Eagle Nebula. The Eagle Nebula image reveals a tall, dense tower of gas being sculpted by ultraviolet light from a group of massive, hot stars.

The new Whirlpool Galaxy image showcases the spiral galaxy's classic features, from its curving arms, where newborn stars reside, to its yellowish central core that serves as home for older stars. A feature of considerable interest is the companion galaxy located at the end of one of the spiral arms.

The new photos can be found here