Picture of the Day - September 12, 2009

"Stephan's Quintet"

Photo courtesy of NASA.                             (Click on the photo for a larger view) Today's picture features a striking image of Stephan's Quintet, the very first "Compact Galaxy Group" ever discovered. The amazing Hubble Space Telescope recently received some updates, and this is one of the first images it beamed back to earth after they were installed. Of all the expenditures NASA has made over the decades, the ones used to develop, place into orbit and update the Hubble have been arguably the most beneficial in terms of ROI. This orbiting robotic explorer just keeps on sending us one super-sharp image after another and allowing us to see deeper into space than ever before. What a truly amazing instrument!     Visitor Comments... Name: Darryl Newsome Town: Rocky Mount, NC I'm constantly amazed at the images produced by the Hubble, and they just keep getting better and better with each upgrade. Keep up the good work at keeping us all up to date on the latest mind-blowing photos from NASA Rick!     Name: Arnold LaPierre Town: Chicago, IL Other worlds so far away, yet within our grasp thanks to the Hubble telescope. What a magnificent piece of hardware and software!!!   Comment on today's picture  |  View previous "Pictures Of The Day"  |  Submit a photo Why I publish the "Picture Of The Day"