NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope was on the receiving end of an amazing space photo for a change.<\/p>\n
On Friday (April 24), Hubble’s 36th birthday<\/a>, the Colorado-based spatial intelligence company Vantor published a stunning, close-up shot of the telescope that was taken the day before by one of its WorldView Legion Earth-observing satellites.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “Celebrating 36 years of discovery with the Hubble Space Telescope<\/a>,” Vantor wrote in an X post<\/a> that shared the photo. “For over three decades, Hubble has expanded our understanding of the universe<\/a> \u2014delivering breathtaking imagery and groundbreaking science that continue to inspire. Proud to support the technologies and teams that make moments like this possible.”<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Celebrating 36 years of discovery with the Hubble Space Telescope \ud83d\udd2d Collected on April 23, 2026, by one of Vantor’s WorldView Legion satellites, this remarkable non-Earth image showcases Hubble from just 61.8 km away\u2014an incredible perspective of one of humanity\u2019s most iconic\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/pCfyWgCzASApril 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The post also gives some details about the image and Hubble itself, which launched to low Earth orbit<\/a> (LEO) aboard the space shuttle Discovery<\/a> on April 24, 1990.<\/p>\n For example, the in-space photo was taken from just 34.8 miles (61.8 kilometers) away, providing “an incredible perspective of one of humanity\u2019s most iconic scientific instruments,” the X post reads. “With a space sample distance of 4.0 cm [1.6 inches], Hubble\u2019s signature cylindrical body, gleaming thermal shielding, and extended solar arrays are clearly visible, along with the open aperture door at the front of the telescope<\/a>.”<\/p>\n Vantor (previously known as Maxar Intelligence) operates six WorldView Legion satellites, all of which orbit at the same general altitude \u2014 around 322 miles (518 km) above Earth. The sharp-eyed spacecraft can resolve features as small as 11.8 inches (30 cm) on their home planet.<\/p>\n The new Hubble shot was captured by WorldView Legion 4, a Vantor spokesperson told Space.com via email. That satellite reached orbit atop a SpaceX<\/a> Falcon 9 rocket in August 2024<\/a>, along with WorldView Legion 3. (The other four rode to space on Falcon 9s in May 2024 and February 2025, with two satellites going up on each launch.)<\/p>\n Hubble famously launched to LEO with a flawed mirror, which was fixed by astronauts during a servicing mission<\/a> in 1993. The telescope has been going strong ever since, capturing amazing imagery of the cosmos that has captivated astronomers and laypeople alike.<\/p>\n Hubble has recently shown signs of its advanced age<\/a>, but the iconic observatory continues to make important scientific observations and discoveries. NASA has expressed optimism that the telescope can continue operating through 2035.<\/p>\n