Twenty years ago today, NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope. After some early technical problems, the Hubble has recorded some amazing images including the most recent, a photo of the Carina Nebula, a massive cloud (over three light years tall!) of cool hydrogen and dust that is expected to spawn several new stars.

Since its launch, the Hubble Telescope, named after the trailblazing astronomer Edwin P. Hubble, has observed over 30,000 different objects and recorded an astounding half million photos of various celestial items. Some of the photos are so spectacular; you have to wonder if NASA hired the Avatar team to create them.

And it’s not just good at snapping photos. The Hubble Telescope has helped scientists discover proof of dark matter, spotting more than 400 previously unknown planets and recording the deepest images of the universe ever glimpsed. Pretty good stuff for a piece of technology celebrating its 20th birthday.

While politicians can argue the merits of space exploration, there is no denying that looking at photos taken by the Hubble Telescope can have you travel in your imagination to a galaxy far, far away. And that’s pretty cool stuff.