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The Hubble Telescope: Shedding Light on the Universe
by:
David Miller
Space is always well noted for being the "final frontier", as it has yet to be
fully explored by humans, unlike the Earth. However, space exploration at this
time is still limited and dangerous. The materials and resources required for
the exploratory missions are expensive. However, scientists have compensated for
this by sending an observatory telescope to measure activity in space without
being blocked by Earth's atmosphere. The Hubble Telescope is a pioneer in
astronomical discovery, its findings still providing meaningful information even
over a decade after its launch.
Before the Hubble Telescope
Edwin Hubble was one of the first astronomers to notice that there were multiple
galaxies beyond the one that Earth was positioned in. However, the biggest
problem with Earth based telescopes was the problem of the Earth's
atmosphere. So Hermann Oberth, one of the founding fathers of rocketry, proposed
the idea of launching a telescope into space and after the successful launch of
satellites into space, NASA began working on the Large Space Telescope.
The Creation of the Hubble Telescope
The Large Space Telescope, later named the Hubble Space Telescope, was NASA's
first project to put a telescope into space. Teams of scientists came up with
designs for the telescope as well as designating certain instruments that would
either capture certain objects in space or measure forms of light waves. The
Space Telescope Science Institute was then created to help evaluate proposals
and manage observations made by the telescope.
The Launch of the Hubble Telescope
The launch of the Hubble Telescope was actually delayed several times. First it
was delayed in 1983 because of budgeting problems and engineering
requirements. Then in the year it was supposed to be launched, 1986, the
Challenger accident forced NASA to halt space shuttle missions. Finally in 1990,
the Space Shuttle Discovery carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit around
the Earth and the Hubble Telescope began to relay new information to scientists.
How the Telescope Works
The telescope, using various instruments, makes observations about particular
objects in space. These observations are then converted into computer data and
then sent to computers on Earth. This data is then turned into meaningful
information or pictures. The telescope studies light within the visible
spectrum, ultraviolet light which has wave lengths shorter than visible light,
and infrared light which has longer wavelengths than visible light. These
measurements of light are used by scientists to make measurements of distance
and size of an object.
Maintenance of the Telescope
Over the years, several servicing missions have been sent to the telescope to
either do repairs or replace outdated materials. One of the first missions was
to fix an imperfection in the mirror of the telescope which was causing images
that Earth received to look blurry. Two other service missions followed, and the
fourth and last service mission was completed in May of 2009, updating equipment
and fixing necessary repairs.
What Has Been Learned From Hubble's Images
To look at some examples of images taken from Hubble, consult this
site. The images and raw data
from the Hubble Telescope have revealed several important discoveries, such as
the age of the universe, dark energy, the stages of galactic evolution, and
protoplanetary disks to name a few. The images have also provided detailed
information about planets in this solar system, as well as planets in other
solar systems. Plus, the Hubble Telescope has compiled quite a bit of data on
stars and star cycles in far-away galaxies.
The Importance of the Hubble Telescope
The Hubble Telescope, itself and the data and images it provides, can be
utilized by any astronomer at any time. Since the telescope's launch, over
10,000 scientific articles have been published using the data from the Hubble
Telescope. Astronomy and science in general has garnered so much information
from this one instrument. Once the Hubble Telescope is retired, plans for
another orbiting observatory are being put into place to replace the Hubble,
because of the importance of space telescopes.
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