In celebration of this auspicious occasion, NASA has released the official image for Hubble's 25th anniversary in low-Earth orbit. The focus of the image is the Westerlund 2 cluster, which contains roughly 3,000 stars in the scope of its glittering expanse.

Since its launch, Hubble has revealed countless wonders and contributed greatly to our understanding of the nature of the cosmos in which we live. Furthermore, innumerable images returned by Hubble of galaxies, stars, planets and almost every other celestial object imaginable have been a source of inspiration for millions, and the anniversary image is a perfect tribute to the telescope and its manifold accomplishments.

Sitting 20,000 light years from Earth in the constellation Carina, Westerlund 2 cuts a majestic figure, and at its heart lies a story of creation. The cluster and its surroundings represent a maelstrom of star birth, and contains some of the Milky Way's most massive and brightest stars. These stellar giants emit powerful barrages of ultraviolet light and stellar winds that serve to sculpt the surrounding hydrogen gas clouds into the beautiful vista we see today. The cluster, which measures between 6 - 13 light years across, is awash with recently birthed red stars, dotted among the filaments of gas and dust that form a stunning backdrop to the piece.