Inspiring Awe of Hubble Space Telescope Brought to Dulles International Airport

Newswise — A new exhibit, created by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and detailing the Hubble Space Telescope’s extensive legacy, is now on display at the Washington Dulles International Airport. A “Hubble Hallway” is located between Dulles International’s parking garages and future Metrorail stop, and the airport’s main terminal.

Images and spectra spanning the breadth of Hubble science, from the local cosmic neighborhood of our solar system, to planets orbiting other stars, to colorful nebulas and distant galaxies in the first eons of the universe, line a section of the walls of the 300-foot-long hallway. Automated walkways allow busy travelers to appreciate the imagery—including the iconic Hubble Ultra Deep Field, a snapshot of auroras on Jupiter, and the stunning Eagle Nebula in both visible and infrared light—as they make their way into the airport. 

“I am really pleased to be able to share some of what we do at the Space Telescope Science Institute and in partnership with NASA with the millions of people who pass this way every year,” said STScI deputy director Nancy Levenson. “The images from Hubble are stunning, showing the beauty of the universe near and far, while also enabling great scientific discoveries.”

After more than 30 years, Hubble remains among the most durable, powerful, and versatile space telescopes ever built, so the panels located in the “Hubble Hallway” can be modified and updated in the future.

STScI also recently updated a vitrine located in Dulles International’s baggage claim area, which looks forward to the soon-to-be-launched James Webb Space Telescope.

Hubble's top accomplishments include measuring the expansion and acceleration rate of the universe; finding that black holes are common among galaxies; characterizing the atmospheres of planets around other stars; monitoring weather changes on planets across our solar system; and looking back in time across 97 percent of the universe to chronicle the birth and evolution of stars and galaxies.

To learn more about the Dulles International airport exhibit, visit www.stsci.edu/dulles. 

The Space Telescope Science Institute is expanding the frontiers of space astronomy by hosting the science operations center of the Hubble Space Telescope, the science and operations center for the James Webb Space Telescope, and the science operations center for the future Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. STScI also houses the Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) which is a NASA-funded project to support and provide to the astronomical community a variety of astronomical data archives, and is the data repository for the Hubble, Webb, Kepler, K2, TESS missions and more. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C.