If you want to know about the Hubble Space Telescope, then you have stumbled upon the right article. Here we tell you Everything you need to know about the telescope. So, stick with us till the end!
What is the Hubble Space Telescope:
Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a Space telescope that was launched in low orbit and remains in operation to capture images of the galaxies.
The Hubble is a joint project between NASA and European Space Agency.
The Hubble has provided us mind-blowing pictures of space that we hadn’t seen before. It had the most prominent contribution in enlightening us about what lies in the space precisely. The images sent by the telescope have inspired and awed the public.
The Hubble telescope has provided insights into the universe. From Moon to remote galaxies, This telescope captured everything. Moreover, incredible photos of Nebula and Super Novas were in between these photos. The Hubble Telescope orbits about 54.7 km above our Earth.
The Hubble Telescope Launch:
In 1971, George Low, NASA’s Acting Administrator, gave a green signal for the production of the space telescope.
After the green signal, NASA lobbied heavily in Congress for funding. They succeeded when Congress granted funds in 1977. Then the work on space telescope began. The initial plan was to launch it in 1983. But due to production delays and some technical constraints, a new launching year 1986 was set. But a setback happened in 1986.
On 28 January 1986, Space Shuttle named The Challenger exploded in the Sky. It killed all 7 astronauts. The news spread like fire in the forest in the world. Due to this, no space shuttle was launched for two years.
After all these setbacks, The world’s first Space telescope- The Hubble- launched on 24 April 1990. The initial investment was 1.5 Billion dollars.
This large telescope was renamed “The Hubble” in an honor of Edwin Hubble. Edwin Hubble was an American Astronomer who among other things determined that the universe is extended beyond the Milky Way.
Instruments in The Hubble- The telescope Compostion:
The Equipment of the Space telescope are:
- High-Speed Photometer.
- Wide Field Planetary Camera
- The Faint Object Camera (FOC)
- The Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS)
- The Fact Object Spectrograph
Telescope Size:
Length: 43.5 feet
Weight: 111,110 kilograms
Diameter: 14 feet
Optics:
Primary mirror diameter: 2.4 m
Primary mirror weight: 828 kg
Secondary mirror diameter: 0.3 m
Secondary mirror weight: 12.3 kg
This Space telescope Transmits about 120 GB of science data every week.
The collection of pictures and data sent by the telescope is stored on Magneto-optical disks.
How The Hubble gets power?
The source of the power of the telescope is Sunlight. Two 25 foot Solar panels are attached with a power usage of 2800 watts.
Importance of The Hubble:
Hubble has given us 2 main things:
1) It has told us there are many farthest galaxies in space. An image called “Hubble Ultra Deep Field” shows the farthest galaxies in the universe.
2) It has also given us an idea about the formation of the galaxies. It continues to send pictures of new galaxies.
3) Hubble is 31 years old. Scientists have designed it in such a way that they can repair it as needed to continue its work. Till now, 5 missions for the repairment have been sent and Hubble is continuing its work Efficiently.
All-inclusive, The Hubble Space Telescope is one of the most prominent space shuttles sent to space. It has captured breathtaking images of stars, farthest galaxies, planets in milky ways, and many more. NASA was right about it and it also contributed its due share to make the USA space superpower.
Also, read about One of the most important missions NASA is about to launch: the Artemis Program
