1 00:00:01,740 --> 00:00:14,140 It is Hubble’s 28th birthday, and like in previous years the telescope is celebrating the anniversary of its launch with a breathtaking new image of the cosmos. 2 00:00:15,580 --> 00:00:25,340 This year’s image takes us on a trip through the spectacular Lagoon Nebula — which is not as peaceful and idyllic as its name would suggest. 3 00:00:38,420 --> 00:00:46,720 28 years ago on the 24th of April 1990, Hubble was launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. 4 00:00:47,860 --> 00:00:58,760 The ambitious mission was — and still is — only possible because of a successful collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency, ESA. 5 00:01:01,620 --> 00:01:09,920 Thanks to this collaboration, Hubble was able to revolutionise our knowledge of the Universe by making stunning discoveries. 6 00:01:10,740 --> 00:01:22,760 To celebrate its story of success, each year Hubble uses a tiny part of its observation time to take an anniversary image, showing us the beauty of the cosmos. 7 00:01:26,340 --> 00:01:38,560 This year’s image features the colourful Lagoon Nebula, a colossal interstellar cloud about 5000 light-years away in the constellation of Sagittarius. 8 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:50,840 Due to the nebula’s large relative size on the night sky, Hubble is only able to capture a fraction of it — but this close-up view shows stunning details. 9 00:01:57,460 --> 00:02:03,700 Like many stellar nurseries, the Lagoon Nebula boasts many large, hot stars. 10 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:16,120 Their ultraviolet radiation ionises the surrounding gas, causing it to shine brightly and sculpting it into ghostly and other-worldly shapes. 11 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:25,960 The nebula features interstellar “twisters” — eerie rope-like structures made of dust and gas. 12 00:02:28,780 --> 00:02:35,560 In other places, patches of extremely dense dust block the light of background stars. 13 00:02:38,220 --> 00:02:42,980 These clumps of gas are gradually collapsing under their own gravity. 14 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,760 One day they will form new stars at their cores. 15 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:58,540 Hubble’s versatile instruments and its infrared capabilities also allowed it to peer through the dust clouds. 16 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:06,400 This revealed the astonishing internal complexity of the nebula, as well as the young stars within it. 17 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:20,600 One day, when these stars die, they will release their material back into the nebula to be recycled into a new generation of stars. 18 00:03:23,580 --> 00:03:27,320 This cycle of stellar birth and death will continue on, 19 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:36,600 sculpting out more beautiful shapes, streams, and areas of light and dark throughout the wonderful Lagoon Nebula. 20 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,660 Transcribed by ESO; Translated by —