The sky at the moment of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble’s launch chart

Launch Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center, Florida · 24 April 1990 · 08:33

Tropical zodiac, Placidus houses

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Hubble’s reading
Hubble’s reading

Gemini rising, a born observer

24 April 1990 · 8:33 am · Launch Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

☉ Taurus · ☽ Aries · ↑ Gemini

The Hubble Space Telescope launched from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 12:33:51 UTC on 24 April 1990, which was 8:33 in the morning local time. That moment gives a Taurus Sun, an Aries Moon and Gemini rising, with Venus and Mars in Pisces high in the sky.

Gemini was rising at 3° when Hubble launched, the sign of curiosity, keen eyes and sharing what you find. It's an apt sign for the horizon of a telescope's chart, light and endlessly interested. Mars in Pisces, up in the 10th house, makes a square to that rising degree, giving the curiosity some push.

The Sun sat at 4° Taurus in the 12th house of Hubble's chart, just above the eastern horizon in the morning sky. Taurus is the sign of patience and durability, of things made well and kept a long time. The 12th house is the quiet, behind-the-scenes part of a chart. Mercury was in Taurus too, retrograde, which is traditionally a time for a second, closer look. It squares the Midheaven exactly and sits opposite Pluto, under a degree away.

The Moon was at 24° Aries in the 11th house of this chart, the house of hopes, shared goals and the future. Saturn, Uranus and Neptune were all in Capricorn, joining structure, invention and vision in one sign. Venus in Pisces makes a trine to Pluto, and the Sun makes easy sextiles to Mars and to Jupiter in Cancer.

WaterAirEarthFire
Earth41%

Earth grows slowly and holds its shape: patience, skill and care for what is real and lasting.

It is the ground you stand on most here, so you trust what you can build and touch.

It shows in who you are at your centre, how you think and talk, what you take seriously and build slowly, where you break the pattern and where you dream and idealise.

☉Sun in Taurus☿Mercury in Taurus♄Saturn in Capricorn♅Uranus in Capricorn♆Neptune in Capricorn
Hubble’s elements

Mostly earth, with water next

Tap an element in the picture or on the bar to see which planets feed it. The Sun, Moon and rising sign count extra.

1♃2345♇67♅♆8♄9♂10☽♀11☉☿12AC
House 8 · Sagittarius

The Shared

intimacy · taboo · transformation♅ ♆

Uranus and Neptune sit here.

Hubble’s houses

The planets gather at the top of the sky

A wintergreen, or teaberry: each leaf is one of twelve houses, a part of life, and each berry is a planet. Hover or tap a leaf or berry to see what’s there, or tap a pattern to light up its leaves.

Hubble’s crystal

Smoky Quartz

An earth stone · grounding, protection, release

An earthing stone for steadying the body and letting go of what is heavy.

Smoky quartz is quartz that has darkened to brown or grey because natural radiation in the surrounding rock acted on traces of aluminium in the crystal. It is found in Brazil, Madagascar, the Swiss Alps and Colorado, and in Scotland, where it is known as cairngorm. Scottish Highlanders traditionally set it into brooches and dirk handles, and it is associated with steadiness and letting go.

Smoky quartz is hard enough to carry loose, though points and edges can chip if dropped. Keep it away from strong heat, which can bleach its colour, and clean it with warm soapy water.

Gift Smoky Quartzat Paradise Found

Where the time comes from

When
24 April 1990, 12:33:51 UTC
Where
Launch Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Time from
NASA's STS-31 mission page: “Launched: April 24, 1990, 8:33:51 a.m. EDT”, from Launch Pad 39B. Source
Note
Hubble was released into orbit the next day, 25 April 1990. This chart is the launch.

Questions

What time did the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope happen?

At 8:33:51 a.m. EDT on 24 April 1990, according to NASA's STS-31 mission page, which is 12:33:51 UTC. Hubble was released into orbit the next day, 25 April 1990; this chart is the launch.

What sign was the Sun in when Hubble launched?

Taurus, at 4°, in the 12th house with Mercury. The Moon was in Aries, and Gemini was rising.

Why chart the launch and not the release into orbit?

Because the launch is the moment NASA's mission page logs to the second. The release came the next day, 25 April 1990, under a different sky.

Pluto Garden

What did the sky look like when you arrived?

This is Hubble’s sky. Yours is different: enter your birthday to stand inside it and see what it says about you.

See your sky

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Planet by planet

Where each planet stood at that moment, and what it stands for. Tap one to find it in the sky.

The twelve houses

Each house is an area of life, fixed to the horizon where you were born. A planet in a house tells you where its energy goes.

Below the horizon the private, inward houses

  1. 1Selfidentity, body, doorway
  2. 2Resourcesvalue, money, what you holdJupiter in Cancer
  3. 3Voicespeech, siblings, daily mind
  4. 4Rootshome, ancestry, inner foundation
  5. 5Playcreativity, romance, children
  6. 6Workroutine, service, body, craftPluto in ScorpioLilith in Scorpio

Above the horizon where a life turns outward

  1. 7The Otherpartnership, contracts, counterpart
  2. 8The Sharedintimacy, taboo, transformationUranus in CapricornNeptune in Capricorn
  3. 9Horizonphilosophy, meaning, the long journeySaturn in CapricornNorth Node in Aquarius
  4. 10Vocationpublic face, calling, authorityMars in Pisces
  5. 11Tribecommunity, allies, hopes for the futureMoon in AriesVenus in Pisces
  6. 12The Hiddendreams, solitude, the unconsciousSun in TaurusMercury in Taurus

The four angles

Ascendant the eastern horizon
Gemini rising3°57′ Gemini
Midheaven the top of the sky
Aquarius Midheaven17°27′ Aquarius
Descendant the western horizon
Sagittarius setting3°57′ Sagittarius
Imum Coeli beneath your feet
Leo IC17°27′ Leo

The chart, drawn flat

The same sky the way astrologers read it: as the traditional wheel, or as an orrery with Earth at the centre.

♈︎ARIES♉︎TAURUS♊︎GEMINI♋︎CANCER♌︎LEO♍︎VIRGO♎︎LIBRA♏︎SCORPIO♐︎SAGITTARIUS♑︎CAPRICORN♒︎AQUARIUS♓︎PISCESASCMCDSCIC☉︎4°☽︎24°☿︎17°♀︎19°♂︎2°♃︎5°♄︎25°♅︎9°♆︎14°♇︎16°☊︎12°⚸︎19°

Bright lines: the four angles where your local sky met the zodiac. Warm lines between planets: conjunctions and oppositions. Dashed: squares and sextiles. The zodiac is spaced evenly; each planet’s house is listed with it above.

☉︎Sun4°04′ TAU
☽︎Moon24°36′ ARI
☿︎Mercury17°27′ TAU ℞
♀︎Venus19°18′ PIS
♂︎Mars2°41′ PIS
♃︎Jupiter5°53′ CAN
♄︎Saturn25°14′ CAP
♅︎Uranus9°32′ CAP ℞
♆︎Neptune14°33′ CAP ℞
♇︎Pluto16°45′ SCO ℞
☊︎North Node12°26′ AQU ℞
⚸︎Lilith19°07′ SCO

Your chart as text