Hubble Space Telescope

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Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versatile, renowned as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy. The Hubble Space Telescope is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble and is one of NASA's Great Observatories. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) selects Hubble's targets and processes the resulting data, while the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) controls the spacecraft. Hubble features a 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) mirror, and its five main instruments observe in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Hubble's orbit outside the distortion of Earth's atmosphere allows it to capture extremely high-resolution images with substantially lower background light than ground-based telescopes. It has recorded some of the most detailed visible light images, allowing a deep view into space. Many Hubble observations have led to breakthroughs in astrophysics, such as determining the rate of expansion of the universe. The Hubble Space Telescope was funded and built in the 1970s by NASA with contributions from the European Space Agency. Its intended launch was in 1983, but the project was beset by technical delays, budget problems, and the 1986 Challenger disaster. Hubble was launched on STS-31 in 1990, but its main mirror had been ground incorrectly, resulting in spherical aberration that compromised the telescope's capabilities. The optics were corrected to their intended quality by a servicing mission, STS-61, in 1993. Hubble is the only telescope designed to be maintained in space by astronauts. Five Space Shuttle missions repaired, upgraded, and replaced systems on the telescope, including all five of the main instruments. The fifth mission was initially canceled on safety grounds following the Columbia disaster (2003), but after NASA administrator Michael D. Griffin approved it, the servicing mission was completed in 2009. Hubble completed 30 years of operation in April 2020 and is predicted to last until 2030 to 2040. Hubble is the visible light telescope in NASA's Great Observatories program; other parts of the spectrum are covered by the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope (which covers the infrared bands). The mid-IR-to-visible band successor to the Hubble telescope is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which was launched on December 25, 2021, with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope due to follow in 2027.

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• Hubble Space Telescope - Wikipedia

  The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versatile, renowned as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy. The Hubble Space Telescope is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble and is one of NASA's Great Observatories. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) selects Hubble's targets and processes [...] Hubble is the visible light telescope in NASA's Great Observatories program; other parts of the spectrum are covered by the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope (which covers the infrared bands). The mid-IR-to-visible band successor to the Hubble telescope is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which was launched on December 25, 2021, with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope due to follow in 2027. ## Concept, design and aim [edit] [...] The Hubble Space Telescope was funded and built in the 1970s by NASA with contributions from the European Space Agency. Its intended launch was in 1983, but the project was beset by technical delays, budget problems, and the 1986 Challenger disaster. Hubble was launched on STS-31 in 1990, but its main mirror had been ground incorrectly, resulting in spherical aberration that compromised the telescope's capabilities. The optics were corrected to their intended quality by a servicing mission,

• Hubble Space Telescope

  # Hubble Space Telescope ## Introduction to the Hubble Space Telescope The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a space-based observatory orbiting Earth. Hubble observes the universe in multiple wavelengths of light, from ultraviolet to visible to near-infrared. [...] The Hubble Space Telescope’s launch in 1990 marked the beginning of a new era in humanity’s exploration of the universe. From above Earth’s obscuring atmosphere, Hubble can obtain extremely high-resolution images and detailed spectroscopic data of the cosmos, from our solar system to the distant, early universe. Scientists submit proposals to use Hubble through an open, peer-reviewed, anonymous competition.

• ESA - Hubble overview - European Space Agency

  Mission The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a 2.4 m-diameter space telescope optimised to observe from the ultraviolet to the infrared, collaborated between ESA and NASA. Launched in 1990 and designed for refurbishment by astronauts, Hubble is one of the greatest scientific projects. Opening our eyes to the wonders of our ‘planetary’ backyard and beyond, it has revolutionised modern astronomy by being an efficient tool for making new discoveries and changing the way research is done. [...] Science & Exploration # Hubble overview 65015 views ESA / Science & Exploration / Space Science Name: Hubble Space Telescope Status: In operation Objective Expanding the frontiers of the visible Universe, the Hubble Space Telescope looks deep into space with cameras that can see across the entire optical spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet.

• Hubble, the space telescope exploring the Cosmos

  > ### Highlights > > The Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, is a multipurpose observatory in Earth orbit used for astrophysics and planetary science. > Hubble has revolutionized our understanding of the Cosmos large and small. It studies asteroids and planets in our own Solar System, exoplanets and clouds of gas where stars are born, and the very fabric of the Universe itself. > The James Webb Space Telescope is Hubble's successor. ### Why do we need the Hubble Space Telescope? [...] Hubble orbits Earth at an altitude of roughly 570 kilometers (350 miles). At its core, Hubble is a 13-meter-long tube (43 feet) opened to space on one end. Light travels through the tube to a bowl-shaped, 2.4-meter-wide (94.5-inch) main mirror and bounces up to a secondary mirror. That mirror concentrates the light into a beam the size of a dinner plate, which travels back through a hole in the middle of the primary mirror. From there, the light is directed through various science instruments

• Hubble Space Telescope Facts - Office of Research and Partnerships

  The Hubble Space Telescope is named after Edwin P. Hubble, the American astronomer who confirmed that the universe is expanding, which provides the foundation for the Big Bang theory. In the 1920s, Edwin Hubble used the 100-inch telescope at Mt. Wilson Observatory in Los Angeles—then the largest telescope in the world—to discover that the Andromeda is its own galaxy. It was previously believed that the Andromeda Galaxy, and others like it, were “spiral nebulas” within the Milky Way. [...] Hubble Space Telescope is about the size of a large school bus. It weighs 24,500 pounds. That’s just under two adult male African bush elephants. Hubble gathers energy from the sun using two 25-foot solar panels. It requires much less power than one might think, averaging 2,100 watts of power usage. A hair dryer requires about 1,800 watts. Hubble orbits the Earth at a cruising speed of 17,000 miles per hour, and takes 15 minutes to rotate 90 degrees. [...] Hubble has observed locations more than 13.4 billion light years away, meaning it has seen light that existed in the universe 13.4 billion years ago. Astronomers using Hubble data have published more than 13,000 journal articles, making it one of the most productive scientific instruments ever built.