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Celestial fireworks to celebrate Hubbles 25th birthday
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The image "Celestial Fireworks" was released to celebrate the Hubble Space Telescope's 25th anniversary. - photo by Natalie Crofts
GREENBELT, Md. For 25 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has been sending captivating images of the universe back to Earth.

The telescope was launched April 24, 1990 in the space shuttle Discovery and released into space the next day, according to NASA and the European Space Agency. The telescope is operated jointly by the two agencies.

Hubble has completely transformed our view of the universe, revealing the true beauty and richness of the cosmos, astronaut John Grunsfeld said in a statement.

The official 25th anniversary image, named Celestial Fireworks, showcases a giant cluster of stars known as Westerland 2. There are about 3,000 stars in the cluster, which is 20,000 light-years away from Earth, according to NASA.

As part of the anniversary celebration, the two space agencies also created a video series featuring interviews with the people who built, maintain and use data from the hubble. Four videos have been released so far, and more are on the way.

To celebrate Hubbles anniversary, we compiled a gallery of some of the stunning images the telescope has captured within the past year. Let us know what your favorites are in the comment section.
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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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