The Hubble Space Telescope was in sad shape, facing both obsolescence, a lack of public awareness and a failing backup unit that would have turned it into a very complicated piece of space debris. NASA’s Service Mission Four, however, has changed all that, rejuvenating the Hubble’s existing instruments and outfitting it with six new operating instruments.

Topping the list of new views are colorful pictures of far-flung galaxies, a densely packed star cluster, a “pillar of creation,” a “butterfly” nebula, and other super-metal formations in space, which is already super metal. Hubble’s suite of new instruments allows it to study the universe across a wide light spectrum, from ultraviolet all the way to near-infrared. In addition, scientists released spectroscopic observations that slice across billions of light-years to probe the cosmic-web structure of the universe and map the distribution of elements that are fundamental to life as we know it.

“This marks a new beginning for Hubble,” said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The telescope (…) is significantly more powerful than ever, well-equipped to last into the next decade.”

“I fought for the Hubble repair mission because Hubble is the people’s telescope,” said Mikulski, chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NASA. “I also fought for Hubble because it constantly rewrites the science textbooks. It has more discoveries than any other science mission.”

Regardless of your scientific interest, the new Hubble means, first and foremost, awesome images to admire. Enjoy.

For more, check out hubblesite.org.