It has discovered the moons of Pluto, taught us the age of the universe and created a 3D map of dark matter. But the Hubble Space TelescopeLaunched into space in 1990, the Hubble has captured some of the most detailed images of space.'s latest finding might be its most amazing yet.

It is not much to look at: a pale purple blob in a long crescent of bright red light, surrounded by shimmering stars. But this dull dot is the most distant star we have ever found. Its light has taken 12.9 billion yearsFor context, the Big Bang itself appeared 13.8 billion years ago. to reach us. Astronomers have nicknamed it EarendelA man's name in Old English, meaning rising star.. It is at least 50 times bigger than the sun.

This discovery is an exceptional achievement. But it also reveals just how mind-bogglingly enormous the universe is - and how small we are by comparison. 

The universe is at least 93 billion light-years across - and growing. It contains approximately one hundred quintillion - or 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 - stars. The particles that comprise us and everything we can see make up just 4% of its matter. The other 96% is invisible, mysterious dark matter. 

People were enchanted by space long before they knew its true extent. Art and poetry are full of sublimeOf the greatest excellence and beauty.  depictions of the night sky. Vincent van Gogh wrote: "The sky of the stars makes me dream." The Starry Night is often regarded as one of the most beautiful paintings ever made.

PlatoOne of the most important Ancient Greek philosophers.  saw space as a gateway to a higher world. He wrote: "Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another." Christianity places heaven beyond the stars.

Others have taken comfort in the almost mathematical way the universe seems to be ordered. In Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, Ulysses uses space as a metaphor for harmonious human society: "The heavens themselves, the planets and this centre / Observe degree, priority and place." Some, such as the astronomer Johannes KeplerA German astronomer, mathematician and writer., even believed that the movement of planets created beautiful music, inaudible to our ears.

The concept of the universal mind, first presented by Ancient Greek philosopher Anaxagoras, says that there is an underlying consciousness connecting everything in the universe. Some present-day scientists have begun to seriously investigate these theories. What could be more comforting than a thinking universe, through which we are all connected?

But some critics ask: why does the universe seem so indifferent to our lives and our sufferings? The cosmos is cold, unforgiving and lethal to all life that requires heat and oxygen. 

Earth makes up a mere 0.0003% of the total mass of the solar system. Our sun is one of 300 billion stars in the Milky Way. And the universe contains about 350 billion large galaxies. Faced with such massiveness, how can we not feel insignificant? 

Space horror writer HP LovecraftAn American writer of the early 20th Century whose stories often depict people driven to insanity by discovering just how insignificant humans are compared to the cosmos. said: "The oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."

Yes: When we are stressed or suffering, thinking about the bigger picture often helps. And there is none bigger than the universe: a mysterious mass whose beauty puts our problems into perspective.

No: Feeling alone and insignificant on Earth is bad enough. The knowledge that humankind adds up to less than a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things is deeply disturbing. It should make us question everything we hold important.

Or... The universe can fill us with awe or alarm, delight or discomfort, peace or panic. But all of these feelings come from us. In our day to day lives, the universe is just a blank canvas.