Texas Border Business
McAllen, TX- On April 24, 2020, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope celebrated the 30th anniversary of its launch aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. In honor of that occasion, a stunning new Hubble image called “Cosmic Reef” was released virtually and will be on display at the International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) beginning on August 7.
The IMAS has been selected as one of a limited number of locations across the nation to unveil the Hubble 30th anniversary photo to the public. The IMAS will display a vinyl banner featuring the 30th anniversary image on its grounds for a full year. The banner will be exhibited on the outside of the building near the Colossal Head No 8 statue and hung at “perfect selfie” height. The banner can be seen from the museum’s west parking lot, for a closer look of the spectacular image from your car. Visitors are encouraged to use the hashtag #Hubble30 and #ExploreIMAS to share their selfies and photos with the unique image for a chance to be featured on IMAS social media.
On August 12, the IMAS will premiere its 15th episode of Workshop Wednesday, a virtual workshop featuring “Galaxy Painting” in tribute to the Hubble 30th Anniversary. Then on August 29, the IMAS will host a free virtual event on Facebook from 4-6 PM. A limited number of activity kits will be available for free pickup at the museum on the morning of August 29. More information about the anniversary image and events can be found at https://theimasonline.org/welcome/hubble-30th/ on the IMAS website.
These national unveilings are the brainchild of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, home to Hubble’s science operations center. In late 2019 STScI put out a call for applications from museums, science centers, and other organizations interested in hosting an event to display Hubble’s 30th anniversary image. After a rigorous selection process, 74 organizations were chosen to host a public unveiling, including at least one location in all 50 states.
A full list of all the national unveilings, as well as downloadable resources and a gallery of Hubble’s most iconic images, are available at https://hubblesite.org/hubble-30th-anniversary
