Why is the Hubble Space Telescope so special?
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Why is the Hubble Space Telescope so special?
It is a very special telescope which orbits far above the Earth. Hubble allows us to see objects more clearly because it is above the clouds in Earth’s atmosphere. Hubble is not only a powerful telescope, but it also carries cameras which allow scientists on Earth to see objects billions of light-years away.
What is the most famous space-based telescope?
the Hubble Space Telescope
Probably the most-famous of the space-based telescopes is the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). NASA plans to launch the Webb Space Telescope in 2018. There are a number of planetary and Solar System probes. Orbiters go into orbit around a specific body to study that body over a period of time.
What is fascinating about the Hubble Space Telescope?
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.
Why does the Hubble Space Telescope produce better images than most observatories?
Space-based telescopes like Hubble get a much clearer view of the universe than most of their ground-based counterparts. Ground-based telescopes can’t do the same, because the Earth’s atmosphere absorbs a lot of the infrared and ultraviolet light that passes through it.
What happened to the Hubble telescope?
On Oct. 25, the science instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope went into safe mode, according to a brief statement released that day. “The instruments are healthy and will remain in safe mode while the mission team continues its investigation.” Related: The best Hubble Space Telescope images of all time!
What was the Hubble Space Telescope flaw?
It suffered from spherical aberration—not all portions of the mirror focused to the same point. The mirror’s shape was off by less than 1/50th the thickness of a human hair, but this tiny flaw proved devastating to the quality of the Hubble’s images and to the efficiency of all of its instruments.
What advantages does the Hubble Space Telescope have over ground-based telescopes?
The Hubble telescope provides four key advantages over most other optical astronomical facilities: unprecedented angular resolution over a large field, spectral coverage from the near infrared to the far ultraviolet, an extremely dark sky, and highly stable images that enable precision photometry.
Why is the Hubble telescope called Hubble?
A scientific and societal revolution quickly ensued. The Hubble Space Telescope is named in honor of astronomer Edwin Hubble.
What is the Hubble Space Telescope?
The Hubble Space Telescope is a large and very versatile telescope in space. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) launched Hubble in 1990. Hubble is as long as a large school bus. It weighs as much as two adult elephants.
What is the name of the first Space Telescope?
Hubble Space Telescope Facts NASA named the world’s first space-based optical telescope after American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble (1889 — 1953).
Is NASA building another Space Telescope?
NASA is building another space telescope. It is called the James Webb Space Telescope. It will be bigger than Hubble. Webb will not orbit Earth as Hubble does. Webb will orbit the sun in a spot on the other side of the moon. The Webb telescope will be able to see a different kind of light than the light Hubble sees.
What can we see with Hubble?
Hubble can see far more than what we can with our eyes. Its domain extends from the ultraviolet, through the visible, and to the near-infrared. The telescope has had a major impact on every area of astronomy, from the solar system to objects at the edge of the universe.