Hubble’s 36th anniversary spotlights newborn stars in the Trifid Nebula

To celebrate its 36th year, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope re-imaged part of the Trifid Nebula (M20) about 5,000 light-years away, showing changes since 1997 and illustrating how newborn stars interact with their surroundings through protostellar jets like Herbig-Haro 399 and ultraviolet winds that carve a growing bubble—the Cosmic Sea Lemon. Beyond this image, Hubble’s longevity and improved instruments have fueled ongoing discoveries and collaborations with Gaia and JWST, underscoring its enduring role in expanding our understanding of the cosmos.