by Jason Orfanon

A luminous "butterfly" nebula fans out from a dying star, a turbulent cloud of gas and dust gives us a peek at the birth of a constellation, and multi-colored stars fill the frame like a tray of glowing jellybeans. All these dazzling images — and more — come from the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope in a collection of photos released today by NASA.

  • This seemingly delicate butterfly nebula is actually made of "roiling cauldrons of gas heated to more than 36,000 degrees Fahrenheit," as NASA puts it. At its center is a dying star that was once about five times the mass of the sun. The image was taken in May 2009 with the Wide Field Camera (WFC3), a new camera aboard Hubble.
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    This seemingly delicate butterfly nebula is actually made of "roiling cauldrons of gas heated to more than 36,000 degrees Fahrenheit," as NASA puts it. At its center is a dying star that was once about five times the mass of the sun. The image was taken in May 2009 with the Wide Field Camera (WFC3), a new camera aboard Hubble.
  • With its new imaging camera, Hubble can view galaxies and star clusters all across the electromagnetic spectrum. The new instruments are also more sensitive to light, giving the 19-year-old telescope a new set of eyes. This Hubble image shows active galaxy Markarian 817.
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    With its new imaging camera, Hubble can view galaxies and star clusters all across the electromagnetic spectrum. The new instruments are also more sensitive to light, giving the 19-year-old telescope a new set of eyes. This Hubble image shows active galaxy Markarian 817.
  • Stars burst to life in the Carina Nebula. These images demonstrate two ways in which the Hubble takes photos: in visible light (top image) and in infrared light. The bottom image, taken in near-infrared light, shows the stars behind the dust cloud, as infrared light can pass through dust.
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    Stars burst to life in the Carina Nebula. These images demonstrate two ways in which the Hubble takes photos: in visible light (top image) and in infrared light. The bottom image, taken in near-infrared light, shows the stars behind the dust cloud, as infrared light can pass through dust.
  • This panoramic view shows a colorful assortment of nearly 100,000 stars in the globular star cluster Omega Centauri, which lies about 16,000 light years from Earth. The photo shows off the new camera's color versatility.
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    This panoramic view shows a colorful assortment of nearly 100,000 stars in the globular star cluster Omega Centauri, which lies about 16,000 light years from Earth. The photo shows off the new camera's color versatility.
  • NASA's title for this image — "Galactic Wreckage in Stephan's Quintet" — could easily be one of the best photographic titles ever. The image, taken in visible and near-infrared light, showcases the WFC3's broad wavelength range.
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    NASA's title for this image — "Galactic Wreckage in Stephan's Quintet" — could easily be one of the best photographic titles ever. The image, taken in visible and near-infrared light, showcases the WFC3's broad wavelength range.
  • The barred spiral galaxy NGC 6217 is located 6 million light years away in the north circumpolar constellation Ursa Major. Captured on June 13, 2009, this was the first image taken by the newly repaired Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).
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    The barred spiral galaxy NGC 6217 is located 6 million light years away in the north circumpolar constellation Ursa Major. Captured on June 13, 2009, this was the first image taken by the newly repaired Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).
  • An image of the galaxy cluster Abell 370, located nearly 5 billion light years away, was taken July 16, 2009. Abell 370 is one of the first galaxy clusters in which astronomers observed the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, where the cluster's gravitational field distorts the light from galaxies behind it.
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    An image of the galaxy cluster Abell 370, located nearly 5 billion light years away, was taken July 16, 2009. Abell 370 is one of the first galaxy clusters in which astronomers observed the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, where the cluster's gravitational field distorts the light from galaxies behind it.
  • Eta Carinae, one of the most massive stars in our galaxy, suffered a giant outburst about 150 years ago, which made it one of the brightest stars in the southern sky. Hubble's new camera does justice to its brilliant coloration.
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    Eta Carinae, one of the most massive stars in our galaxy, suffered a giant outburst about 150 years ago, which made it one of the brightest stars in the southern sky. Hubble's new camera does justice to its brilliant coloration.

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Thanks to new imagers installed in May 2009 during a visit from the space shuttle Atlantis, Hubble can now see farther, clearer, and across a wider spectrum than ever before.

NASA says it's a new beginning for the 19-year-old orbiting observatory, and will extend its life into the next decade. For astronomers, it's a chance to probe deeper into space, capture never-before-seen images from the early days of the universe, and perhaps observe the birth of planets like ours.

And for ordinary folks who like to look up at the night sky and dream, it's what some astronomy enthusiasts call "space porn."

To learn more about the new and improved Hubble Space Telescope, and see more far-flung images, visit HubbleSite. Also, check out this audio slideshow of astronomers discussing their favorite Hubble photos.

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