IN PHOTOS: 26 years later, Hubble’s images of our universe still amaze us

It has peered 13.4 billion years back in time. It has produced awe-inspiring images and helped answer some age-old questions plaguing astronomers.

On Sunday, the Hubble Space Telescope, undoubtedly one of the most important astronomical instruments ever built, celebrated its 26th anniversary.

Hubble was launched on April 24, 1990. Though it had a rough start (it essentially had to be retrofitted with “glasses” due to a flaw in one of the mirrors), it has shed light on our universe and helped us to see back in time, to the early beginnings of the universe.

Here, we present some of the most incredible images Hubble has taken in its lifetime.

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