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This jewel-bright Picture of the Week features the\u00a0spiral galaxy\u00a0NGC 2903. This image was captured using Hubble\u2019s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), which were installed on Hubble in 2002 and 2009 respectively. Interestingly, Hubble has\u00a0observed this particular galaxy before, in 2001, when neither the ACS or the WFC3 had yet been installed. The 2021 image boasts higher resolution, which means that NGC 2903 is more finely detailed than in the 2001 image. The ACS and WFC2 collectively cover a wide range of ultraviolet, optical and infrared wavelengths, which means that the 2021 image also has superior wavelength coverage to that of its 20-year-old predecessor. The 2001 image was taken using the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), which was Hubble\u2019s workhorse instrument from 1993 until 2009 when it was replaced by the WFC3.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hubble has a long and fascinating\u00a0history\u00a0of crewed service missions, which were performed in order to correct for\u00a0imperfections in Hubble\u2019s mirror, to update Hubble\u2019s technical systems, and to remove old\u00a0instruments\u00a0and install new ones. One of Hubble\u2019s most remarkable features is it\u2019s incredible\u00a0longevity, and this would not have been possible with the great success of the servicing missions. The juxtaposition of the 2001 and 2021 images of NGC 2903 \u2014 both remarkable images for their time \u2014 highlights the value of a stable, accessible platform in space that can reliably collect data, not only year after year, but decade after decade.<\/p>\n